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.[1]
The sheriffdom was dissolved in 1975 and replaced by that of Tayside, Central and Fife.
- 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)
- Patrick Haldane, 1747-1748 [2]
- James Erskine, 1748–1754 [3]
- John Swinton, 1754–1782 (died 1799)
- William Nairne of Dunsinnan, 1783– [4]
- Archibald Colquhoun, 1793–1807[5]
- John Hay Forbes, Lord Medwyn, 1807–1824 [6]
- Duncan McNeill, 1st Baron Colonsay, 1824–1834 [7]
- Adam Anderson, 1835–1841 [8]
- Robert Whigham, 1841–1849 [9]
- James Craufurd, 1849–1853 [10]
- Edward Gordon, Baron Gordon of Drumearn, 1858–1866
- John Tait, 1866–1874 [11]
- James Adam, 1874–1876
- John Macdonald, Lord Kingsburgh, 1880–
- William Gloag, Lord Kincairney, 1885–1889 [12]
- Charles Pearson, 1889–1890[13]
- Andrew Graham Murray, 1890–1891[13]
- Andrew Jameson, Lord Ardwall, 1891–1905[13][14]
- Christopher Nicholson Johnston, KC, 1905–1916 [14]
- John Wilson KC, 1917–1920[15]
- James Condie Stewart Sandeman KC, 1920– [16]
- Daniel Patterson Blades, 1934-1945 [17][18] (Solicitor General for Scotland, 1945)
- James Frederick Strachan, KC, 1945–1948 [18][19]
- Laurence Hill Watson, KC, 1948–1952 [19]
- Thomas Blantyre Simpson, QC, 1952–1954 [20]
- Christopher William Graham Guest, QC, 1954–1955 [20][21]
- Sir James Randall Philip, QC, 1955–1957 [21][22]
- Charles Shaw, Baron Kilbrandon, 1957–1958 [22][23]
- Hector McKechnie, QC, 1958–1963 [23]
- George Emslie, Baron Emslie, 1963–1966 [24]
- Ian MacDonald Robertson, QC, 1966–1966 [24]
- Margaret Henderson Kidd, QC, 1966–1974 [25]
- William Murray, 8th Earl of Mansfield and Mansfield, 1974–1975
- Sheriffdom replaced in 1975 by the sheriffdom of Tayside, Central and Fife.
Sheriffdoms of Perth and Angus Order 1934 S.I. 1934/1299 (S.70)
Milne, Hugh. Boswell's Edinburgh Journals: 1767-1786.
Brunton, George. An Historical Account of the Senators of the College of Justice. p. 551.
Accounts and Papers, Finance, Banks. Offices. Vol. XIII. p. 71.
Parliamentary Papers, Volume 49. p. 597.
Sheriff Courts. The Scottish law review and Sheriff Court reports, Volume 22. p. 11.
Sheriff Courts. The Scottish law review and Sheriff Court reports, Volume 22. p. 13.
Ewan, Elizabeth. The Biographical Dictionary of Scottish Women. p. 196.