Sheriff of Perth

The Sheriff of Perth was historically a royal official, appointed for life, who was responsible for enforcing justice in Perth, Scotland. 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.

Following consecutive reorganisations of the Scottish sheriffdoms the position became the Sheriff of Perthshire in 1747 and the Sheriff of Perth & Angus in 1934.

The sheriffdom was dissolved in 1975 and replaced by that of Tayside, Central and Fife.

Sheriffs of Perth

 * Kenneth (1164)
 * Roger de Mortimer of Aberdour (1209)
 * John de Moray (1210)
 * Geoffrey de Inverkunglas (1219)
 * John Hay of Naughton (1226-1228)
 * William Blund (1228)
 * Malcolm of Moray (1236)
 * Adam de Lochore
 * William de Munfichet (1245)
 * John Hay of Naughton (1246)
 * William de Lauder (1251)
 * David de Lochore (1255)
 * Gilbert de la Hay (1262)
 * John Cameron (1264)
 * George de Cambrun (1266)
 * Christian de l'Isle (1280)
 * Nicholas de la Haye (1289)
 * Walter de Burghdon (1295)
 * John de Inchmartin (1305)
 * Alexander de Abernethy (1305)
 * John de Stirling (1334)
 * Andrew Buthirgask (1344)
 * John Denniston (1355)
 * Harry de Fotheringay (1357)
 * Hugh de Ros (1362)
 * Andrew Buthirgask (1365)
 * Robert Stewart of Innermeath (1369)
 * Alexander Abercrombie (1370)
 * Thomas de Wanchope (1373)
 * Walter Stewart of Ralston (1381)
 * Walter Stewart, Earl of Atholl (1433)
 * John Spence - 1433 - Deputy
 * Archibald Stewart - 1439 - Deputy
 * Patrick Charteris (1440)
 * John de Haddington (1441)
 * William Ruthven (1443)
 * Patrick Charteris (1446)
 * Patrick Graham, Lord Graham (1459)
 * William Graham (1465)
 * Laurence Oliphant, 1st Lord Oliphant (1470)
 * Robert Abercromby (1478)
 * John Murray, 1st Duke of Atholl (1695–1724)
 * James Murray, 2nd Duke of Atholl (1724-1748)

Sheriffs of Perthshire (1747)

 * Patrick Haldane, 1747-1748
 * James Erskine, 1748–1754
 * John Swinton, 1754–1782 (died 1799)
 * William Nairne of Dunsinnan, 1783–
 * Archibald Colquhoun, 1793–1807
 * John Hay Forbes, Lord Medwyn, 1807–1824
 * Duncan McNeill, 1st Baron Colonsay, 1824–1834
 * Adam Anderson, 1835–1841
 * Robert Whigham, 1841–1849
 * James Craufurd, 1849–1853
 * Edward Gordon, Baron Gordon of Drumearn, 1858–1866
 * John Tait, 1866–1874
 * James Adam, 1874–1876
 * John Macdonald, Lord Kingsburgh, 1880–
 * William Gloag, Lord Kincairney, 1885–1889
 * Charles Pearson, 1889–1890
 * Andrew Graham Murray, 1890–1891
 * Andrew Jameson, Lord Ardwall, 1891–1905
 * Christopher Nicholson Johnston, KC, 1905–1916
 * John Wilson KC, 1917–1920
 * James Condie Stewart Sandeman KC, 1920–

Sheriffs of Perth and Angus (1934)

 * Daniel Patterson Blades, 1934-1945 (Solicitor General for Scotland, 1945)
 * James Frederick Strachan, KC, 1945–1948
 * Laurence Hill Watson, KC, 1948–1952
 * Thomas Blantyre Simpson, QC, 1952–1954
 * Christopher William Graham Guest, QC, 1954–1955
 * Sir James Randall Philip, QC, 1955–1957
 * Charles Shaw, Baron Kilbrandon, 1957–1958
 * Hector McKechnie, QC, 1958–1963
 * George Emslie, Baron Emslie, 1963–1966
 * Ian MacDonald Robertson, QC, 1966–1966
 * Margaret Henderson Kidd, QC, 1966–1974
 * William Murray, 8th Earl of Mansfield and Mansfield, 1974–1975
 * Sheriffdom replaced in 1975 by the sheriffdom of Tayside, Central and Fife.