The Sheriff of Canterbury is a

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, the , which is commonly ...

in the city of

Canterbury, England Canterbury (, ) is a city and UNESCO World Heritage Site, in the county of Kent, England; it was a county borough until 1974. It lies on the River Stour. The city has a mild oceanic climate. Canterbury is a popular tourist destination, wit ...

. The office was first held in 1461 by Richard Carpenter, when a charter of king

Edward IV Edward IV (28 April 1442 – 9 April 1483) was King of England from 4 March 1461 to 3 October 1470, then again from 11 April 1471 until his death in 1483. He was a central figure in the Wars of the Roses, a series of civil wars in England ...

granted the city the perpetual status of a county independent of

Kent Kent is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South East England. It is bordered by Essex across the Thames Estuary to the north, the Strait of Dover to the south-east, East Sussex to the south-west, Surrey to the west, and Gr ...

itself. The role was at that time involved in police and legal functions (overseeing public executions, collecting taxes and having powers of arrest), but is now honorific. The role survived the local government reorganisation of 1974, when a large number of other areas lost County Borough status and thus had their Sheriffs' posts abolished, and the Sheriff is still elected at the Annual Council Meeting in May.

Canterbury City Council Canterbury (, ) is a city and UNESCO World Heritage Site, in the county of Kent, England; it was a county borough until 1974. It lies on the River Stour. The city has a mild oceanic climate. Canterbury is a popular tourist destination, wit ...

in 2002 merged the role of deputy Chairman of the Council into that of Sheriff, to create a Civic Team of only the Sheriff and the Lord Mayor.

List of holders

Source: *1461 Richard Carpenter :first Sheriff of Canterbury *1462 Hamon Bele *1463 John Bygge *1464 John Wattys *1465 William Bele *1466 Walter Hopton *1467 Richard Carpenter *1468 John Bygge *1469 Thomas Atte Wode *1470 William Faunt *1471 Nicholas Sheldewych *1522 Robert Lewys : MP for

Canterbury Canterbury (, ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and UNESCO World Heritage Site, in the county of Kent, England; it was a county borough until 1974. It lies on the River Stour, Kent, River Stour. The city has a mild oceanic climat ...

, 1539 and 1545 *1529 John Starky : MP for

, 1539 *1530 Francis Rutland *1531 James Thomson *1532 John Johnson *1533 John Toftos *1534 John Alcock *1535 John Hobbys *1536 Thomas Calowe *1537 George Webbe : MP for

, 1553 *1538 William Copyn : MP for

, 1553 and 1554 *1539 Henry Gere *1540 John Fuller *1541 Robert Brown *1542 Thomas Batherste *1543 Roger Welles *1544

John Twyne John Twyne (c.1505–1581) was an English schoolmaster, scholar and author, and also Member of Parliament for Canterbury. Life He was born about 1501 at Bullington, Hampshire, the son of William Twyne. He was educated, according to Anthony Wo ...

: headmaster of the newly reconstituted King's School in 1542, MP for

, 1553 and 1554.www.canterbury.gov.uk, 'The past Lord Mayors'
, consulted 10 January 2010. *1549 George Maye : MP for

, 1559 *1551 Thomas Walker *1563 Anthony Webbe : MP for

, 1572 *1572 Bartholomew Brome : MP for

, 1589 *1575 Bartholomew Brome : MP for

, 1589

18th century

19th century

20th century

21st century

*2023 Tom Mellish *2024 Keji Moses

References

External links

www.canterbury.gov.uk
{{DEFAULTSORT:Canterbury, Sheriff of

Sheriff 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, the , which is common ...

1461 establishments in England