This is a list of the High Sheriffs of County Durham, England.
In most counties the High Sheriff is the oldest secular office under the Crown. In the Palatinate of Durham the officeholder was appointed by and was accountable to the Bishop of Durham until 1836 when the Crown claimed authority. The High Sheriff was the principal law enforcement officer in the county but over the centuries most of the responsibilities associated with the post have been transferred elsewhere or are now defunct, so that its functions are now largely ceremonial. The High Sheriff changes every March.
High Sheriffs of County Durham
1146 Osbert
15th century
18 January 1401: Sir Robert Conyers
24 August 1406: Sir Percival de Lyndeley
2 June 1414: Sir William Claxton
2 January 1420: Robert Eure
6 May 1436: Sir William Bowes
4 October 1437: Robert Ogle
1 October 1438: William Pudsay
5 December 1441: Geoffrey Midleton
28 December 1461: John de Aderton
8 December 1462: Geoffrey Midleton
7 March 1467: William Claxton
6 August 1469: Henry Radclyff
14 August 1470: Sir George Lumley
20 November 1476: Robert Tempest
4 October 1482–1502: Sir Ralph Bowes
16th century
1503–15: Sir William Bulmer of Wilton Castle,(near Redcar) 1516–1517: Roger Lumley 1518–1522: Sir William Eure 1523–26: Sir William Bulmer of Wilton Castle,(near Redcar) 1527: Sir William Bulmer and John Bulmer (jointly) 1528–32: Sir John Bulmer 1533–?: William Hilton 1561: Robert Tempest of Holmside Hall 1569: Robert Bowes 1576: George Bowes 1576–1591: Sir William Hilton 1592–1594: George Conyers 1595–1610: Sir John Conyers of Sockburn Hall
17th century
1610–1624: Sir George Selby of Whitehouse, Ryton. 1625–1640: Sir William Belasyse of Morton House 1641: William Collingwood 1642: Sir William Darcy 1645: Henry Vane the Elder 1646: Sir George Vane of Barnard Castle 1647: Richard Belasyse of Morton House 1648: Clement Fulthorpe 1649: Sir James Clavering of Axwell House, Blaydon on Tyne 1651: Thomas Shadforth 1652: Christopher Fulthorpe of Tunstall Manor 1653: Francis Wren 1654: Rowland Place of Low Dinsdale Manor 1655: Thomas Bewick 1656: George Lilburn 1657–58: Timothy Whittingham 1659: Robert Ellison 1660–7: Sir Thomas Davison of Blakiston Hall. 1667–73: Sir Gilbert Gerard, 1st Baronet of Fiskerton 12 February 1671: Sir Gilbert Gerard, 1st Baronet of Fiskerton 1673: Sir James Clavering of Axwell House, Blaydon on Tyne 1674: Sir Gilbert Gerard, 1st Baronet of Fiskerton 1675–85: Nicholas Conyers 1686–1708: Hon. Charles Montagu