High Sheriff of Hallamshire
Encyclopedia
The High Sheriff of Hallamshire was a shrievalty
title which was in existence from 1962 until 1974 in Yorkshire
, United Kingdom
.
. Section 3 of the Act provided that for:
The creation of a distinct county for judicial purposes in the south of Yorkshire originated in the 1961 report of the Streatfeild Committee, which made various recommendations on the operation of the criminal courts in England and Wales. The need for the creation of a new jurisdiction arose from the long waiting times for cases to come to trial in the North Eastern Circuit, which were far in excess of the maximum recommended waiting period of two months. In order to deliver timely justice, the committee felt that it was necessary for assizes to be held at Leeds
and Sheffield simultaneously. As the High Sheriff of Yorkshire
was required to preside at all assizes in the county, it followed that a new shrievalty and county would need to be formed.
During the parliamentary debate on the bill, Lord Rea
sought to rename the proposed judicial county as simply "Hallam" (or alternatively as the "South Riding"). He felt that the use of the suffix "shire" was misleading as:
The Lord Chancellor
, Viscount Kilmuir
, explained that "Hallamshire" was the correct term for the area surrounding Sheffield, that the suffix "shire" was widely used in the north of England for subdivisions of counties, and that it was particularly appropriate as its original meaning was the area under the jurisdiction of a sheriff. Lord Rea conceded and withdrew his amendment.
The first official action of the new High Sheriff was the opening of the Sheffield Assizes on 29 May 1962. The occasion was seen as being historic, with the Recorder
of Sheffield noting that it was the first new shrievalty to have been created for many centuries.
, which came into effect on 1 April 1974, high sheriffs were appointed to each of the new metropolitan and non-metropolitan counties of England
. Accordingly, a new office of High Sheriff of South Yorkshire
was created, covering a similar area to the abolished Hallamshire jurisdiction.
High Sheriff
A high sheriff is, or was, a law enforcement officer in the United Kingdom, Canada and the United States.In England and Wales, the office is unpaid and partly ceremonial, appointed by the Crown through a warrant from the Privy Council. In Cornwall, the High Sheriff is appointed by the Duke of...
title which was in existence from 1962 until 1974 in Yorkshire
Yorkshire
Yorkshire is a historic county of northern England and the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its great size in comparison to other English counties, functions have been increasingly undertaken over time by its subdivisions, which have also been subject to periodic reform...
, United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
.
Creation
The shrievalty was created on 30 April 1962 under the terms of the Criminal Justice Administration Act 1962Criminal Justice Administration Act 1962
The Criminal Justice Administration Act 1962 was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that modified the jurisdiction and process of the English criminal courts.-Act:...
. Section 3 of the Act provided that for:
... the purposes of the law relating to sheriffs, the Sheffield Division of the county of York ... shall on the appointed day cease to be part of the county of York and become a separate county by the name of Hallamshire
The creation of a distinct county for judicial purposes in the south of Yorkshire originated in the 1961 report of the Streatfeild Committee, which made various recommendations on the operation of the criminal courts in England and Wales. The need for the creation of a new jurisdiction arose from the long waiting times for cases to come to trial in the North Eastern Circuit, which were far in excess of the maximum recommended waiting period of two months. In order to deliver timely justice, the committee felt that it was necessary for assizes to be held at Leeds
Leeds
Leeds is a city and metropolitan borough in West Yorkshire, England. In 2001 Leeds' main urban subdivision had a population of 443,247, while the entire city has a population of 798,800 , making it the 30th-most populous city in the European Union.Leeds is the cultural, financial and commercial...
and Sheffield simultaneously. As the High Sheriff of Yorkshire
High Sheriff of Yorkshire
The High Sheriff of Yorkshire was an ancient High Sheriff title originating in the time of the Angles, not long after the invasion of the Kingdom of England, which was in existence for around a thousand years. A list of the sheriffs from the Norman conquest onwards can be found below...
was required to preside at all assizes in the county, it followed that a new shrievalty and county would need to be formed.
During the parliamentary debate on the bill, Lord Rea
Philip Rea, 2nd Baron Rea
Philip Russell Rea, 2nd Baron Rea PC was a British peer, Liberal politician and Merchant Banker.The eldest son of Walter Rea, a Liberal politician, and his first wife, Evelyn, Rea was educated at Westminster School, and then at Oxford University, where he graduated BA and later MA, and lastly at...
sought to rename the proposed judicial county as simply "Hallam" (or alternatively as the "South Riding"). He felt that the use of the suffix "shire" was misleading as:
"... it would look as if we had added a new geographical county to the United Kingdom. For a foreign visitor, it would be a geographical and typographical confusion.".
The Lord Chancellor
Lord Chancellor
The Lord High Chancellor of Great Britain, or Lord Chancellor, is a senior and important functionary in the government of the United Kingdom. He is the second highest ranking of the Great Officers of State, ranking only after the Lord High Steward. The Lord Chancellor is appointed by the Sovereign...
, Viscount Kilmuir
David Maxwell Fyfe, 1st Earl of Kilmuir
David Patrick Maxwell Fyfe, 1st Earl of Kilmuir GCVO, PC, KC, , known as Sir David Maxwell Fyfe from 1942 to 1954 and as The Viscount Kilmuir from 1954 to 1962, was a British Conservative politician, lawyer and judge who combined an industrious and precocious legal career with political ambitions...
, explained that "Hallamshire" was the correct term for the area surrounding Sheffield, that the suffix "shire" was widely used in the north of England for subdivisions of counties, and that it was particularly appropriate as its original meaning was the area under the jurisdiction of a sheriff. Lord Rea conceded and withdrew his amendment.
The first official action of the new High Sheriff was the opening of the Sheffield Assizes on 29 May 1962. The occasion was seen as being historic, with the Recorder
Recorder (judge)
A Recorder is a judicial officer in England and Wales. It now refers to two quite different appointments. The ancient Recorderships of England and Wales now form part of a system of Honorary Recorderships which are filled by the most senior full-time circuit judges...
of Sheffield noting that it was the first new shrievalty to have been created for many centuries.
Area of jurisdiction
"Hallamshire" was defined by the 1962 legislation as the following local government areas as they existed at the time:- The county boroughCounty boroughCounty borough is a term introduced in 1889 in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland , to refer to a borough or a city independent of county council control. They were abolished by the Local Government Act 1972 in England and Wales, but continue in use for lieutenancy and shrievalty in...
s of BarnsleyBarnsleyBarnsley is a town in South Yorkshire, England. It lies on the River Dearne, north of the city of Sheffield, south of Leeds and west of Doncaster. Barnsley is surrounded by several smaller settlements which together form the Metropolitan Borough of Barnsley, of which Barnsley is the largest and...
, DoncasterDoncasterDoncaster is a town in South Yorkshire, England, and the principal settlement of the Metropolitan Borough of Doncaster. The town is about from Sheffield and is popularly referred to as "Donny"...
, RotherhamRotherhamRotherham is a town in South Yorkshire, England. It lies on the River Don, at its confluence with the River Rother, between Sheffield and Doncaster. Rotherham, at from Sheffield City Centre, is surrounded by several smaller settlements, which together form the wider Metropolitan Borough of...
and SheffieldSheffieldSheffield is a city and metropolitan borough of South Yorkshire, England. Its name derives from the River Sheaf, which runs through the city. Historically a part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, and with some of its southern suburbs annexed from Derbyshire, the city has grown from its largely...
. - The urban districtUrban districtIn the England, Wales and Ireland, an urban district was a type of local government district that covered an urbanised area. Urban districts had an elected Urban District Council , which shared local government responsibilities with a county council....
s of Adwick le StreetAdwick le StreetAdwick-le-Street is a village in the Metropolitan Borough of Doncaster, South Yorkshire, England.-Geography:It is situated a few miles to the north west of the town of Doncaster. It has a population of 10,507....
, Bentley with ArkseyBentley with ArkseyBentley with Arksey was a civil parish and urban district adjacent to the town of Doncaster in the West Riding of Yorkshire from 1866 to 1974.-Civil parish:The civil parish was formed in 1866 by the grouping of the two townships of Arksey and Bentley...
, ConisbroughConisbroughConisbrough is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Doncaster, in South Yorkshire, England. It is located roughly midway between Doncaster and Rotherham, and is built alongside the River Don at...
, CudworthCudworth, South YorkshireCudworth is a semi-rural village on the outskirts of Barnsley in South Yorkshire, England. Cudworth has a busy village centre surrounded by some housing and green belt countryside...
, DarfieldDarfield, South YorkshireDarfield is a village within the Metropolitan Borough of Barnsley, South Yorkshire, England. It lies east of the town of Barnsley. It had a population of 8,066 at the 2001 UK Census.-History:...
, DartonDartonDarton is a village in the Metropolitan Borough of Barnsley , on the border with West Yorkshire. According to the 2001 UK census, it has a population of approximately 14,927...
, Dearne, DodworthDodworthDodworth is a village in the metropolitan borough of Barnsley in South Yorkshire, England. It has a population of 5,742.-History:Dodworth is a former coal mining village with approximately 5,800 people The land occupying the former mine is now the Dodworth Business Park...
, Hoyland Nether, MaltbyMaltby, South YorkshireMaltby is a town and civil parish of 17,247 inhabitants in the Metropolitan Borough of Rotherham, South Yorkshire, England, situated in a rural area about 7 miles east of Rotherham and 12 miles north-east of Sheffield...
, MexboroughMexboroughMexborough is a town in the metropolitan borough of Doncaster, South Yorkshire, England, situated on the north bank of the River Don west of its confluence with the River Dearne...
, PenistonePenistonePenistone is a small town market town and civil parish in the Metropolitan Borough of Barnsley, in South Yorkshire, England, with a population of 10,101 at the 2001 census. It lies west of the town of Barnsley and north east of Glossop, in the foothills of the Pennines...
, RawmarshRawmarshRawmarsh is a large village in the Metropolitan Borough of Rotherham, in South Yorkshire, England. It is two miles north of Rotherham. It has a population of 18,210. The village also forms part of the Sheffield Urban Area.-Etymology:...
, RoystonRoyston, South YorkshireRoyston is a suburban village within the Metropolitan borough of Barnsley, in South Yorkshire, England. Historically it was in the West Riding of Yorkshire, but was incorporated in to the Metropolitan borough of Barnsley in 1974 and is now on the border with West Yorkshire...
, StocksbridgeStocksbridgeStocksbridge is a small town and civil parish in the City of Sheffield, in South Yorkshire, England, with a population of 13,663. It lies just to the east of the Peak District....
, SwintonSwinton, South YorkshireSwinton is a suburban town within the Metropolitan Borough of Rotherham, in South Yorkshire, England on part of the west bank of the River Don...
, TickhillTickhillTickhill is a small, wealthy town and civil parish in the Metropolitan Borough of Doncaster in South Yorkshire, England, on the border with Nottinghamshire. It has a population of 5,301.-Geography:...
, Wath upon Dearne, WombwellWombwellWombwell is a small town near Barnsley, located in the Metropolitan Borough of Barnsley in South Yorkshire, England. It has a population of 15,180.Its name's origin may mean "Womba's Well", or "well in a hollow"....
and WorsbroughWorsbroughWorsbrough is an area about two miles south of Barnsley in the metropolitan borough of Barnsley, South Yorkshire, England.-Geography:Worsbrough includes Worsbrough Bridge, Worsbrough Common, Worsbrough Dale, Worsbrough Village and Ward Green. The River Dove flows east-west through Worsbrough and...
. - The rural districtRural districtRural districts were a type of local government area – now superseded – established at the end of the 19th century in England, Wales, and Ireland for the administration of predominantly rural areas at a level lower than that of the administrative counties.-England and Wales:In England...
s of DoncasterDoncaster Rural DistrictDoncaster was a rural district in the West Riding of Yorkshire, England from 1894 to 1974.The rural district was created by the Local Government Act 1894 as successor to the Doncaster Rural Sanitary District. It consisted of an area surrounding, but not including, the town of Doncaster. Doncaster...
, Kiveton ParkKiveton Park Rural DistrictKiveton Park was a rural district in the West Riding of Yorkshire from 1894 to 1974.It was formed under the Local Government Act 1894 from that part of the Worksop rural sanitary district which was in the West Riding - the rest going to form Worksop Rural District in Nottinghamshire and Clowne...
, PenistonePenistone Rural DistrictPenistone Rural District was a rural district in the West Riding of Yorkshire. It was named after but did not contain Penistone. The town itself was contained within the Penistone Urban District....
, Rotherham, Thorne and WortleyWortley Rural DistrictWortley was a rural district in the West Riding of Yorkshire from 1894 to 1974, situated to the north-west of the county borough of Sheffield.... - Hemsworth Rural DistrictHemsworth Rural DistrictHemsworth was, from 1894 to 1974, a rural district in the West Riding of Yorkshire, England.-Creation:The district was formed by the Local Government Act 1894 as successor to the Hemsworth Rural Sanitary District...
less the parishesCivil parishIn England, a civil parish is a territorial designation and, where they are found, the lowest tier of local government below districts and counties...
of Ackworth, Badsworth, Hessle and Hill Top, Huntwick with Foulby and Thorpe Audlin, Kirk Smeaton, Little Smeaton, North Elmsall, Nostell, South Elmsall, South Kirkby, Upton, Walden Stubbs and West Hardwick.
Abolition
The shrievalty only existed for 12 years. Under the Local Government Act 1972Local Government Act 1972
The Local Government Act 1972 is an Act of Parliament in the United Kingdom that reformed local government in England and Wales on 1 April 1974....
, which came into effect on 1 April 1974, high sheriffs were appointed to each of the new metropolitan and non-metropolitan counties of England
Metropolitan and non-metropolitan counties of England
Metropolitan and non-metropolitan counties are one of the four levels of subdivisions of England used for the purposes of local government outside Greater London. As originally constituted, the metropolitan and non-metropolitan counties each consisted of multiple districts, had a county council and...
. Accordingly, a new office of High Sheriff of South Yorkshire
High Sheriff of South Yorkshire
The High Sheriff of South Yorkshire is a current High Sheriff title which has existed since 1974, the holder is changed annually every March.For around 1,000 years the entire area of Yorkshire was covered by a single High Sheriff of Yorkshire. After the Local Government Act 1972 the title was split...
was created, covering a similar area to the abolished Hallamshire jurisdiction.
List of High Sheriffs
A list of the sheriffs from this period can be found below.- 1962–1963 Colonel Sir Frederick Austin Neill
- 1963–1964 Sir Douglas Stephenson Branson
- 1964–1965 Harold George Warde-Norbury
- 1965–1966 Thomas Norman Boddy
- 1966–1967 Percy James Clarke Bovill
- 1967–1968 William Miles David
- 1968–1969 Sir William Johnson, 1st Baronet
- 1969–1970 Philip Harold Dixon
- 1970–1971 Sir Peter Geoffrey Roberts, 3rd Baronet
- 1971–1972 William Warde-Aldam
- 1972–1973 Sir James Hugh Neil
- 1973–1974 Sir Gerard Francis Young