The Sheriff of Wigtown was historically the office responsible for enforcing law and order in Wigtown, Scotland and bringing criminals to justice. Prior to 1748 most sheriffdoms were held on a hereditary basis. From that date, following the Jacobite uprising of 1745, the hereditary sheriffs were replaced by salaried sheriff-deputes, qualified advocates who were members of the Scottish Bar.
It became known as the Sheriff of Wigton & Kirkcudbright in 1860 and was dissolved and incorporated into the sheriffdom of Dumfries & Galloway in 1874.
The Stewartry of Kirkcudbright was created in 1369, when the area between the Rivers Nith and Cree was granted to Archibald the Grim. A steward was appointed by to administer the area which was known the "Stewartry".
Sheriffs of Wigtown
Robert FitzTrute (c.1200) Alexander Comyn (1263-1266) John Comyn, Master of Buchan (1288) Walter of Twynham (1296) Domhnall mac Cailein c.1298 John Comyn, Earl of Buchan (1300) Thomas McCulloch (1305) William Douglas of Leawalt (1424) Andrew Agnew (1456) Thomas Boyd, Earl of Arran (1468) Andrew Agnew (1468) John Graham (1648) Andrew Agnew (?-1747)
Sheriffs-Depute Alexander Boswell, 1748–1750 Andrew Pringle, 1750–1751 (Sheriff of Selkirk, 1751) Thomas Dundas, 1751– Alexander Spalding Gordon, –1794 John Busby Maitland, 1794–1818 James Walker, 1818–c.1840 Adam Urquhart 1843–1860
Stewards of Kirkcudbright Donald Maclellen of Gelston, 1456 William Edmonstoune of Duntreath, 1462 John Kennedy of Blairquhan, 1463 Thomas Boyd, Earl of Arran, 1468 Humphrey Colquhoun, 1468 Patrick Hepburn, 1st Earl of Bothwell, 1489 Robert Maxwell, 5th Lord Maxwell, 1526
Sheriffs of Kirkcudbright Thomas Miller, Lord Glenlee, 1748–1755 David Ross, 1756–1763 Alexander Gordon, Lord Rockville, 1764–1784 Sir Alexander Gordon, 1784–1830 Alexander Wood of Woodcote, 1830–1841 Erskine Douglas Sandford, 1841–1860
Sheriffs of Wigton & Kirkcudbright (1860) Erskine Douglas Sandford, 1860–61 David Hector, 1861-1874 For sheriffs after 1874 see Sheriff of Dumfries and Galloway
See also Historical development of Scottish sheriffdoms
References