We recently had the pleasure of meeting Kevin Sharp, Clerk to the West Yorkshire Lieutenancy, and at a separate meeting, Sue Baker, former High Sheriff of West Yorkshire. These two speakers each gave us a history lesson, and then demonstrated how in the modern world, these two ancient offices under the Crown seek to serve the community.
First the history. The office of High Sheriff is the oldest secular office in the country. It evolved between 978 and 1016 from the Anglo-Saxon “Shire Reeve” to represent the King’s interests in each county. After the Conquest in 1066, the Norman Kings expanded this role and the Shrievalty [the collective name for High Sheriffs] held significant powers, including law enforcement and tax collection.
When King Henry II introduced itinerant judges to travel round the country, the High Sheriffs of each county became responsible for looking after them on Circuit. The special relationship between High Sheriffs and the judiciary persists to this day. Sue told us that there is a document at the Leeds Combined Court Centre with illustrations listing the names of every High Sheriff of Yorkshire dating back to 1069, with High Sheriffs of West Yorkshire since local government reorganisation in 1972. As Sue put it, ‘It’s something quite spine tingling to feel you’re part of that continuous history going through’. There are High Sheriffs in each of the 55 counties of England and Wales.
The Lord Lieutenants date from Henry VIII’s time. He created them to raise a militia to protect the monarch from civil disorder anticipated at the time of the dissolution of the monasteries. They were also responsible for prisons and the police service until the nineteenth century. They are now the monarch’s representative in the counties.
In West Yorkshire the Lord Lieutenant is assisted by 69 Deputy Lieutenants. The administrative office of the Lieutenancy is run by Kevin from an office in Bowcliffe Hall. There is only one High Sheriff of West Yorkshire, who by tradition holds office for only one year – a relic of the unpopularity of the office in the days of responsibility for raising taxes. There is one assistant, the Under Sheriff.
The formal duties of the High Sheriff are nowadays ceremonial, for example acting as returning officer at national elections. Another duty Sue expected to perform was ‘proclaiming the death of the sovereign.’ On the day Queen Elizabeth II died, Sue was suffering from Covid, and the Under Sheriff deputised for her.
The duties of the Lord Lieutenant are also ceremonial: as Clerk to the West Yorkshire Lieutenancy, Kevin is responsible for liaising with the police and Royal household to arrange Royal visits, facilitating invitations to Buckingham Palace garden parties, and local garden parties at Bowcliffe Hall. Kevin arranges for the Lord Lieutenant or a Deputy Lieutenant to attend appropriate events.
Both offices are engaged in serving the community. As Clerk to the West Yorkshire Lieutenancy, Kevin spends time scanning West Yorkshire for events, institutions and people that are worthy of a Royal visit. He encourages those in the voluntary sector to apply for a King’s Award, and businesses to apply for the King’s Award for enterprises.
In her year as High Sheriff, Sue put particular emphasis on visiting and encouraging small local charities and volunteers engaged in helping vulnerable teenagers avoid crime and get into education or employment.
Both Kevin and Sue emphasised how the Royal Family and the King’s representatives take an interest in those unsung heroes who are serving the community, and how much that interest is appreciated.