High Bailiffs of Leicester from 1252 & duties

As a Civic Post in its own right, the High Bailiff joins with the Lord Mayor, in welcoming the Crown Court Judges to the City. In addition, the High Bailiff is asked, to deputise for the Lord Mayor at various civic events dependent upon the number of engagements which are required to be fulfilled.

Leicester is the only city, outside of London, within Great Britain where the ceremonial duties of a High Bailiff are maintained.  In other corresponding cities similar duties are carried out by a Sheriff as, for example – The Sheriff of Nottingham

The names Bailiff and Sheriff appear to be synonymous in the history of the office – “Reeve” being derived from the Anglo-Saxon “Gerefa,” a steward. These names survive in both Leicester’s High Bailiff as  ‘Borough-reeve’ (Bailiff) and in many other Cities including Nottingham where the similar offices have evolved from ‘Shire-Reeve’ (Sheriff).

Prior to 1995, it was customary for an elected councillor to be appointed High Bailiff before becoming Lord Mayor, then to be appointed as Deputy Lord Mayor.  It is now more usual for a councillor to be appointed Deputy Lord Mayor immediately prior to being elected as Lord Mayor and then to be appointed High Bailiff sometime afterwards.

There are two other surviving examples of the Ancient Office of High Bailiff remaining at the present time.  Firstly, in London there is the High Bailiff of Westminster and the second instance is the High Bailiff of the Isle of Man. 

BAILIFFS AND HIGH BAILIFFS OF LEICESTER

1252 – Present day

• 2010 – 11 Councillor Abdul Osman
• 2009 – 10 Councillor Colin Hall
• 2008 – 09 Councillor Paul Westley
• 2007 – 08 Councillor Manjula Sood
• 2006 – 07 Councillor Mary Draycott
• 2005 – 06 Councillor Piara Singh Clair
• 2004 – 05 Councillor Ramnik Bhagwanji Kavia (died 20 November 2004)
• 2003 – 04 Councillor John Allen
• 2002 – 03 Councillor Mrs Barbara Chambers
• 2001 – 02 Councillor Phillip Ronald Swift
• 2000 – 01 Councillor Mrs Margaret Bodell-Stagg
• 1999 – 2000 Councillor Michael Howard Johnson
• 1998 – 99 Councillor Raymond Arthur Flint
• 1997 – 98 Councillor Culdipp Singh Bhatti
• 1996 – 97 Councillor Ned Newitt
• 1995 – 96 Councillor John Vincent Mugglestone
• 1994 – 95 Councillor David Middleton
• 1993 – 94 Councillor Peter (later Councillor Sir Peter) Alfred Soulsby
• 1992 – 93 Councillor Henry Dunphy
• 1991 – 92 Councillor Robert Wigglesworth
• 1990 – 91 Councillor Mrs Margaret Edith Winifred Bell
• 1989 – 90 Councillor Colin Grundy
• 1988 – 89 Councillor Peter Dominic Kimberlin
• 1987 – 88 Councillor Guy Joseph Patrick McKenna Collis
• 1986 – 87 Councillor Gordhan Devraj Parmar
• 1985 – 86 Councillor David Anthony Taylor
• 1984 – 85 Councillor Sydney St. John Phipps
• 1983 – 84 Councillor Mrs Janet May Setchfield
• 1982 – 83 Councillor Terence Arthur Harris
• 1981 – 82 Councillor Arthur Edwin Padmore
• 1980 – 81 Councillor William George Page
• 1979 – 80 Councillor Archibald Horace Berridge
• 1978 – 79 Councillor Herbert Henry Sowden
• 1977 – 78 Councillor William Henry Scotton
• 1976 – 77 Councillor Michael John Cufflin
• 1975 – 76 Councillor Albert Turner Baker
• 1974 – 75 Councillor Albert Sylvester Watson
• 1973 – 74 Councillor Mrs Lily Roma Marriott
• 1972 – 73 Alderman Bernard Toft
• 1971 – 72 Councillor Clarence Arnold Wakefield
• 1970 – 71 Alderman Mrs Anne Irene Pollard
• 1969 – 70 Councillor Percy Clement Watts
• 1968 – 69 Councillor Herbert Stanley Tomlinson
• 1967 – 68 Alderman Edward Marston
• 1966 – 67 Councillor George Ernest Baldwin
• 1965 – 66 Alderman Sir Mark Henig
• 1964 – 65 Alderman Kenneth William Bowder
• 1963 – 64 Councillor Sidney William Bridges
• 1962 – 63 Councillor Mrs Monica  Mary Trotter
• 1961 – 62 Alderman Robert William Arthur Russell, (appointed 25 May 1961 died 20 June 1961),
• 1961 – 62 Councillor Mrs. Constance Elizabeth Jackson was appointed for the remainder of the Municipal Year)
• 1960 – 61 Councillor Harold Heard
• 1959 – 60 Alderman Miss May Goodwin
• 1958 – 59 Councillor Herbert Leslie Milliard
• 1957 – 58 Alderman Bertram Powell
• 1956 – 57 Councillor Wilfred Eric Howell
• 1955 – 56 Alderman Walter Oram
• 1954 – 55 Alderman Alfred Halkyard
• 1953 – 54 Alderman Frederick John Jackson
• 1952 – 53 Alderman Cecil Herbert Harris
• 1951 – 52 Councillor Samuel Cooper
• 1950 – 51 Alderman Sidney Brown
• 1949 – 50 Councillor Samuel Edwards
• 1947 – 49 Councillor Frederick Ernest (later Alderman Sir Ernest) Oliver
• 1946 – 47 Alderman John William Wale
• 1945 – 46 Alderman Geoffrey (later Alderman Sir Geoffrey) Morris Barnett
• 1944 – 45 Councillor William Henry Freestone
• 1943 – 44 Councillor Thomas Allen
• 1942 – 43 Councillor William Henry Smith
• 1941 – 42 Councillor David Bentley
• 1940 – 41 Councillor Albert Newman Vesty
• 1939 – 40 Councillor John Minto
• 1938 – 39 Councillor Joseph Laurence Harrison
• 1937 – 38 Councillor Charles Edward Keene
• 1936 – 37 Councillor Miss Elizabeth Rowley Frisby
• 1935 – 36 Councillor Charles (later Alderman Sir Charles) Robert Keene
• 1934 – 35 Councillor Thomas John Gooding
• 1933 – 34 Alderman Sydney Taylor
• 1932 – 33 Councillor Charles Edward Gillot
• 1931 – 32 Councillor Charles John Pearse
• 1930 – 31 Councillor Frank Acton
• 1929 – 30 Councillor James John Smith
• 1928 – 29 Councillor William John Sheppard
• 1927 – 28 Councillor Albert Edward Monk
• 1926 – 27 Councillor William Joseph Cort
• 1925 – 26 Councillor Walter Whitby
• 1924 – 25 Councillor George Horace Parbury
• 1923 – 24 Councillor John Johnson
• 1922 – 23 Councillor Harry Carver
• 1921 – 22 Councillor Harry Hand
• 1920 – 21 Councillor Samuel Folwell
• 1919 – 20 Councillor Henry Cyprian Snow
• 1918 – 19 Councillor Joseph William Smith
• 1917 – 18 Councillor Charles Squire
• 1916 – 17 Councillor Amos Sheriff
• 1915 – 16 Councillor Thomas Watson Walker
• 1914 – 15 Councillor Walter John Lovell
• 1913 – 14 Alderman Jabez Chaplin
• 1912 – 13 Councillor Joseph Sturge Collier
• 1911 – 12 Councillor John Hurley
• 1910 – 11 Councillor John Loseby
• 1909 – 10 Councillor Edward John Yearby
• 1908 – 09 Councillor George Folwell
• 1907 – 08 Alderman George Collins
• 1906 – 07 Councillor Samuel Hudson
• 1904 – 06 Councillor Samuel Squire
• 1903 – 04 Councillor James McCall
• 1902 – 03 Councillor Clement Frederick Bryan
• 1901 – 02 Councillor Arthur Tollington
• 1899 – 1901 Councillor James Hawkes
• 1898 – 99 Alderman Albert Edwin Sawday
• 1896 – 98 Councillor Samuel Patey
• 1894 – 96 Councillor James Thorp Hincks
• 1892 – 94 Alderman George Green
• 1889 – 92 Alderman Thomas Almond
• 1886 – 89 Councillor Thomas Holyland
• 1885 – 86 Councillor Thomas  (later Alderman Sir Thomas) Wright
• 1884 – 85 Alderman George Viccars
• 1878 – 84 Councillor Israel Hart
• 1874 – 78 Alderman George Foxton
• 1870 – 74 Mr Thomas Merrett Evans (appointed on death of Mr Eames)
• 1858 – 70 Mr William Kirk Eames (late Councillor)
• 1846 – 58 Councillor William Kirk Eames and Alderman John Moore
• 1845 – 46 Councillor William Kirk Eames (Senior Bailiff) and Councillor John Moore (Junior Bailiff)
• 1844 – 45 Alderman Edward Weston (High Bailiff) and Councillor William Kirk Eames (Junior Bailiff) (appointed on death of Alderman Coltman)
• 1839 – 44 Alderman John Coltman (appointed in place of Alderman John Mellor who resigned)
• 1836 – 39 Councillor John Mellor (afterwards Alderman) (appointed in place of Mr Wright who was removed from Office)
• 1641- 1836 TBC
• 1641 – John Beeby
• 1498 – 1641 TBC
• 1498 – Robert Orton
• 1461 – 1498 TBC
• 1461 – Peter Curteys
• 1253 – 1461 TBC
• 1252 – 53 Roger de Ekden and Ricardus de Campeden