The Sheriff of Renfrew and Argyll was historically the royal official responsible for enforcing law and order and bringing criminals to justice in Renfrew and Argyll, Scotland.
Prior to 1748, most sheriffdoms were held on a hereditary basis. From that date, following the Jacobite uprising of 1745, hereditary sheriffs were replaced by salaried sheriff-deputes, qualified advocates who were members of the Scottish Bar.
The sheriffdom of Renfrew was combined with the sheriffdom of Bute in 1871, creating the new position of Sheriff of Bute and Renfrew. In 1946, it was merged with the sheriffdom of Argyll, creating the position of Sheriff of Renfrew and Argyll. That sheriffdom was dissolved in 1975 and replaced by the current sheriffdom of North Strathclyde.
Sheriffs of Renfrew
Sir William Semple, 1471– Thomas Sempill (killed 1488) John Sempill, 1st Lord Sempill (1489) (killed 1513) William Sempill, 2nd Lord Sempill (1515) (died 1552) Robert Sempill, 3rd Lord Sempill (died 1576) John Sempill, 1st of Beltrees (died 1579) "Commissariot Record of Edinburgh, Register of Testaments, Part I. Volumes 1 to 35 1514-1600", Edinburgh: James Skinner & Co., 1897, Part I, p. 249 James Sempill, 2nd of Beltrees (died 1626) Alexander, Earl of Eglinton, 1636- (died 1661) Francis Sempill Earls of Eglinton, –1748
Sheriffs-Depute William Fleming of Barochan 1542NRS GD112/68/3 no 1 Charles Macdonald of Crichen, 1748- Charles McDowall, c.1786 Allan Maconochie, Lord Meadowbank of Kirknewton, 1788–1796 John Connel, 1796–c.1814 John Colin Dunlop, 1816–1842 Hercules Robertson, 1842–1853 Robert MacFarlane, 1853–1862 Patrick Fraser, 1864–1871
Sheriffs of Renfrew and Bute (1871) Henry James Moncrieff, 1881-1888 Sir Charles Pearson, 1888–1889 (Sheriff of Perth, 1889–90) Sir John Cheyne, 1889–1907 Neil John Downie Kennedy, 1907–1912 John Wilson, 1912–1917Who Was Who 1929–1940, p. 40. Alastair Oswald Morison Mackenzie, January–July 1917 (Sheriff of Lanark, 1917)Who Was Who 1941–1950, p. 732. David Anderson, 1917–1918 Charles Murray, 1918–1918Michael Stenton and Stephen Lees eds, Who's Who of British Members of Parliament 1919–1945 (1979), p. 257. James Mercer Irvine, 1918–1945Who Was Who 1941–1950, p. 590.
Sheriffs of Renfrew and Argyll (1946) Thomas Murray-Taylor, 1946–1948 James Randall Philip, QC, 1948–1955 {Sheriff of Perth and Angus, 1955} William Ross McLean, QC, 1955–1960 (Sheriff of the Lothians and Peebles, 1960) Ian Shearer, Lord Avonside, QC, 1960–1962 Alexander Thomson, 1962–1964 William Robertson Grieve, Lord Grieve, QC, 1964–1972 James Mackay, 1972–1974 The sheriffdom was abolished in 1975 and replaced by the current Sheriffdom of North Strathclyde.
See also Historical development of Scottish sheriffdoms
References