The office of High Sheriff of Somerset is an ancient

shrievalty A sheriff is a government official, with varying duties, existing in some countries with historical ties to England where the office originated. There is an analogous, although independently developed, office in Iceland that is commonly transl ...

which has been in existence since the 11th century. Originally known as the "Sheriff of Somerset", the role was retitled on 1 April 1974, under the provisions of the

Local Government Act 1972 The Local Government Act 1972 (c. 70) is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that reformed local government in England and Wales on 1 April 1974. It was one of the most significant Acts of Parliament to be passed by the Heath Go ...

. The position of Sheriff was once a powerful one, the holders being responsible for collecting taxes and enforcing law and order in

Somerset Somerset ( , ; Archaism, archaically Somersetshire , , ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, county in South West England which borders Gloucestershire and Bristol to the north, Wiltshire to the east, Dorset to the south-east and Devon to the so ...

, a

county A county is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposes Chambers Dictionary, L. Brookes (ed.), 2005, Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, Edinburgh in certain modern nations. The term is derived from the Old French ...

South West England South West England, or the South West of England, is one of nine official regions of England. It consists of the counties of Bristol, Cornwall (including the Isles of Scilly), Dorset, Devon, Gloucestershire, Somerset and Wiltshire. Cities and ...

. In modern times the sheriff has become a ceremonial officer of the Crown, attending or presiding over many public events. Until 1567 the Sheriff of Somerset was also Sheriff of Dorset. In England, Wales, and Northern Ireland the high sheriff is theoretically the Sovereign's judicial representative in the county, while the

Lord Lieutenant A lord-lieutenant ( ) is the British monarch's personal representative in each lieutenancy area of the United Kingdom. Historically, each lieutenant was responsible for organising the county's militia. In 1871, the lieutenant's responsibility ...

is the Sovereign's personal representative. Their jurisdictions, the "shrieval counties", are no longer co-terminous with administrative areas, representing a mix between the ancient counties and more recent local authority areas. The post is unpaid, except for a small court attendance allowance, and the general expenses of the office are borne personally by the holder.Privy Council public information website
Eligibility for nomination and appointment of High Sheriffs is controlled by the Sheriffs Act of 1887.

Sheriffs of Somerset 11th century

*c1061 Godwine *1066-1068 Tovid or Tofig *1083-1086

William de Moyon William I de Moyon (d. post 1090) (''alias'' de Moion, also de Mohun), 1st feudal baron of Dunster in Somerset, was seigneur of Moyon in Normandy and became Sheriff of Somerset in 1086. He founded the English ''de Mohun'' family in the Westcount ...

Sheriffs of Somerset 11th century

Sheriffs of Somerset and Dorset

11th and 12th century

13th century

14th century

15th century

16th century

Sheriffs of Somerset

16th and 17th century

18th century

19th century

20th century

High Sheriff of Somerset

20th century

21st century

References