Trans. Bristol & Gloucestershire Archaeological Society 128 (2010), 207–227 List of Sheriffs of Gloucestershire By CHRISTOPHER ELRINGTON† It is thought that an accessible list in print of all the county’s sheriffs to 2006–7 may be useful. Lists of sheriffs up to 1832 of all the English and Welsh counties and of those cities and boroughs which had sheriffs were published in the List of Sheriffs for England and Wales (1898), volume ix in the Public Record Office’sLists and Indexes series. A photographic reprint of that volume, published in 1963, included a number of manuscript addenda and corrigenda which, like the original publication, drew on documents in the Public Record Office. Two centuries earlier Abel Wantner included in his manuscript History of Gloucestershire, now in the Bodleian Library as MS Top. Glouc. c. 3, a list of sheriffs from 1154 to 1712; they are on ff. 264–270, with the sheriffs of 1707–12 on a slip attached to f. 270. An earlier version of his list, in his own hand, is in the associated volume of his notes, MS Top. Glouc. c. 2, ff. 74–83. In the Transactions, vol. 86 (1968), Brian Smith published a list of sheriffs from 1832 to 1967 with an introductory essay on the shrievalty in Gloucestershire, and David J.H. Smith provided a leaflet carrying the list forward to 1991. The list of under-sheriffs given in the Transactions is reprinted below and brought up to date. The information from 1832 on is taken principally from Gloucestershire Archives, Q/RAs. The earlier version of Wantner’s list is exactly matched by the list published some thirty years later by Sir Robert Atkyns in his The Ancient and Present State of Glostershire (1712). The relationship between the two lists is not entirely clear, but it could well be that Wantner made the list in his working papers available to Atkyns. Atkyns’s list is evidently what Samuel Rudder copied for the list included in his New History of Gloucestershire (1779). Wantner’s list, in its second version, cannot be used with much confidence (it omits, presumably by mistake, several names that are in the earlier version), but it does offer some detail, notably in the spelling of surnames, that supplements the List of Sheriffs, and continuing discussion of the value of Wantner’s historical compilation in general is an added reason for including it here. The unreliability of Wantner’s dates, apparent elsewhere in his manuscripts and perhaps arising from a difficulty in translating regnal years into years of grace, seems to be represented in his list of sheriffs. His dating of the sheriffs is limited to the year, presumably that in which he found the sheriff to have been in office. His consuming interest in heraldry caused him to include the coat or arms of each sheriff, apparently using his imagination or invention particularly for the earlier sheriffs. That heraldic information is not included here, but it is available in an edited version of Wantner’s ‘History’ that has been deposited in the Society’s library and in Gloucestershire Archives. The list below as far as 1377 gives on the left the information from the PRO List of Sheriffs, with manuscript additions from the reprint of 1963 distinguished by being enclosed in square brackets. The date is either of appointment or of beginning account. The names in italic are those of under- sheriffs. On the right are the date and name from Wantner’s list, taken from the transcription made by John Fendley in 2007, with the forenames translated from the Latin used by Wantner down to 1685. The names of places of residence have been modernised throughout, though surnames taken from place-names retain the spelling of the sources used. The indications of rank have been placed before the places of residence. 207-227 List of Sheriffs.indd 207 08/02/2011 16:27 208 CHRISTOPHER ELRINGTON From 1377 to 1712 the significant differences between List of Sheriffs and Wantner’s list are relatively few and it seems wasteful to give the two lists in parallel. Instead, the list here offered gives only the names from List of Sheriffs, noting significant differences in Wantner’s list: minor differences of spelling, differences in date that are less than three years and the omission by Wantner of titles of rank, of places of residence and of alternative spellings are ignored. before 10861 Alwin Roger de Pistes2 1086[–c. 1096] Durand de Gloucester [c. 1096–1123 Walter of Gloucester (Walter fitz Roger)] [c. 1123] Miles de Gloucestria Mich. 1129 Miles de Gloucestrea 1154 Miles de Glou. son of Walter [Alan] of Gloucester3 Xmas 1154 Osbert de Westbury Mich. 1155 Walter de Hereford 1155 Walter de Hereford Mich. 1157 William de Bello Campo 1156 William de Bello Campo alias Beauchamp Mich. 1163 William Pipard 1163 William Pyperd Mich. 1167 Gilbert Pipard 1167 Gilbert Pyperd Mich. 1171 Ralph filius Stephani 1171 Ralph filius Stephani and William, his brother William his brother Mich. 1175 William filius Stephani 1175 William filius Stephani Mich. 1189 William Marescallus 1186 John Avenel Richard de Muscegros 1190 William Marescalus or Marshal Mich. 1191 Nicholas de Avenel Mich. 1193 William Marescallus, in person 1193 Richard Herbertus Easter 1194 Herbert filius Hereberti 1195 William Romere Mich. 1196 William de Pomeraie 1196 William Marescalus Mich. 1197 Herbert filius Hereberti, in person Mich. 1198 Earl William, the Marshal Nicholas Avenel Mich. 1200 Thomas de Rochesford 1199 Thomas Rochford Mich. 1204 Richard de Husseborne 1203 Richard Haselrine 21 July 1207 Richard de Muscegros 1204 Reginald Petenolt Reginald de Pauncevolt, Mich. 1206 1205 Richard Musgrow 5 Jan. 1208 Gerard de Athyes Richard Burgeis, Mich. 1207 1206 Richard Brudges Mich. 1209 Engelard de Ciconiaco Mich. 1209 Richard Burgeis 8 July 1215 Ralph Musard (accounts from Mich. 1213 Ralph Musarde 1217) 1 The List of Sheriffs gives the dates of the first three sheriffs as ‘Domesday, before Survey’ and ‘Domesday, at time of Survey’. 2 A better spelling of his surname is Pîtres, the name of a place in Eure, Normandy. 3 He is said by Wantner to have been ‘the first high sheriff of the county’. 207-227 List of Sheriffs.indd 208 08/02/2011 16:27 LIST OF SHERIFFS OF GLOUCESTERSHIRE 209 Mich. 1220 William Briwer (did not account) 3 Dec. 1220 Ralph Musard Mich. 1221 Decius de Eggeward 1218 Peter Edgward Mich. 1222 Ralph Musard, in person 1219 Ralph Musard 27 Dec. 1225 William Putot 1222 William de Putote Mich. 1229 Peter de Eggesworth Mich. 1231 Ralph Musard, in person 11 July 1232 Peter de Rivall’ (did not account) Mich. 1232 Henry de Bada 1229 Henry Bade 28 May 1234 William Talebot 1231 William Talbot Mich. 1234 Peter de Eggeworth and Thomas de Sancto Martino Mich. 1235 William Talebot, in person Mich. 1237 Thurstan le Despenser 1234 Thurstan de la Spencer Xmas 1238 John filius Galfridi 1235 Simond Jefferees Xmas 1238 Peter de Stanforde Mich. 1239 Geoffrey de Derhurste Mich. 1240 John filius Galfridi, in person East. 1246 Robert Walerain or Walerand 1243 Robert Wallerond East. 1246 Geoffrey de Derhurste Mich. 1247 Nicholas de Montacuto Mich. 1248 Reginald de Acle Mich. 1249 Robert Walerand, in person 27 May 1250 John le Flemyng 1247 John de Fleming 2 Mar. 1251 Richard de Cromhal (accounts from Xmas 1250) 8 May 1252 Adam de Notstede 1249 Adam de Hittested 4 Apr. 1255 William de Lexeberewe 1253 William de Lasseburrough 10 Jan. 1256 Matthias Bezill (did not account) 28 May 1257 Henry de Penbroke Mich. 1257 William de Lesseberwe 3 Nov. 1258 Robert de Meisy 1255 Robert Maisey Mich. 1259 John le Brun 1256 John de Brunn 8 July 1261 Matthias Bezill or Becille 1259 Matthias Werill William de Sopworth and Richard de Cicestr’, his clerks (account from Easter 1261) Mich. 1262 Matthias Bezille, in person 16 Dec. 1263 Roger de Clifford Simon de Crepping (accounts for Roger de Clifford from Midsummer 1263) 1 Feb. 1265 Reginald de Akel or Acle Roger de Chene, his clerk (accounts from Xmas 1264) Mich. 1266 Reginald de Acle, in person 29 Sept. 1267 Adam de Geymvill (did not account) 1267 Peter Pyers 207-227 List of Sheriffs.indd 209 08/02/2011 16:27 210 CHRISTOPHER ELRINGTON 23 Nov. 1267 Reginald de Oclee or Acle 1269 Reginald Arle Roger de Cheyney and Adam de Sandhurst his clerks (account from Michaelmas 1267) 1 May 1270 Peter de Champvent 1268 Peter de Chamet Mich. 1271 Walter de Bocking, his clerk 23 Nov. 1273 Reginald de Acle or Akeley (apparently died before his account was rendered) 27 Dec. 1274 Adam le Botiller 1270 Adam Bottiler 25 Oct. 1278 Roger le Rus 1275 Richard Ryepery 15 Nov. 1279 Richard de la Ryvere or de Ripariis 27 Dec. 1280 Walter de Stirchesle 1276 Walter de Strukley 15 Jan. 1283 Roger de Lokinton (accounts from 1280 Roger Lackington Xmas 1282) 14 Feb. 1287 Geoffrey de Sandiacre 1283 Geoffrey de Mandiacre 16 Oct. 1289 Fulk de Lacy 1287 Thomas de Lacey 19 Apr. 1293 Thomas de Gardinis 1288 Thomas de Gardinis 15 Oct. 1298 John de Langelegh 1294 John de Langly 2 Oct. 1299 Richard Talebot 1295 Richard Talbot 16 Oct. 1301 John de Newborough 1297 John de Novo Burgoe alias Newburgh 4 Oct. 1302 Thomas de Gardinis 1298 Thomas de Gardinis 23 Nov. 1307 John de Laungele 1303 John de Langly 13 Mar. 1308 Nicholas de Kyngestone 1304 Nicholas de Kingston 22 Mar. 1310 John de Anesle 1306 John de Amersly 1 Mar. 1311 Nicholas de Kyngeston 28 Apr. 1311 John de Acton 1307 John de Acton 28 Oct.