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All of the following historical and biographical information regarding the Officers of these old Courts viz: Recorders, Clerk of the Peace, the Sheriffs and Under Sheriffs, is taken from an information booklet published 1971 by the Exeter City Council and the following lists of names are listed here with their kind permission.
Margery Rowe and Andrew Jackson researched all of the old documents and their introduction records that, by the Courts Act of 1971, the City's court of assize and the court of quarter sessions were to be abolished at the end of 1971 and from 1 January 1972 these were to be replaced by a Crown Court. With the abolition of those old courts, the historic offices of Recorder, Clerk of the Peace and Deputy Clerk of the Peace ceased to exist along with the duties as performed by the Sheriff and Under Sheriff in connection with the abolished courts.
Not quoted here are the details given in this booklet of the
origins and requirements of each of these offices. However, for
clarity of the biographical details that are included here, it is
necessary to quote from their introduction.
NOTE: George Oliver's History of Exeter is
online at Google Books:
"A list of town clerks from 1511 to 1856 is included in George Oliver, History of Exeter (1861) pp. 241-2. It is accurate, for the most part, and like the list of recorders above includes some additional biographical detail. The list which follows is based on the sources themselves, normally the Act Books of the Chamber, and their successors, the Minute Books of the City Council."
| FROM/TO | NAME | ADDITIONAL NOTES | |
| RECORDERS OF EXETER, 1352 to 1971 | |||
| 1352-1353 | Robert atte WEYE | ||
| 1353-1355 | William WYKE | ||
| 1355-1356 | Nicholas WYTYNG | ||
| 1356-1357 | Receiver's Roll is missing | ||
| 1357-1358 | William WYKE | ||
| 1358-1359 | Ralph SCHILLYNGFORD | ||
| 1359-1372 | William WYKE | ||
| 1372-1374 | John HILLE | ||
| 1374-1373 | William WYKE | Half year's salary only in 1374/5. His will was proved on 7 May 1375. (Mayor's Court Roll 48-49 Ed. III, m.32d) | |
| 1375-1381 | John HILLE | ||
| 1381-1382 | No salary was paid to a recorder in 1381/82 | ||
| 1382-1383 | The office was certainly vacant in 1382/3 | ||
| 1383-1418 | Thomas REYMOND | The references to Reymond within this period are scattered. He may have held continuously, or intermittently, like William Wyke, but no others are referred to within the period. In 1417-8 he received only a half year's salary. He died beteen 3 and 24 August 1418 (Register of Bishop Stafford, pp. 419, 420) | |
| 1418-1442 | William WONARD (or WYNARDE) | ||
| 1442-1455 | Nicholas RADFORDE | Murdered by the sons of the Earl of Devon, 23 October 1455. (Trans. Of the Devonshire Assn., Vol 44, p.257) | |
| 1455-? | John MORE of Cullompton | Elected by the common council, 10 November 1455 (Mayor's Court Roll 34-35 Hy.VI, m.6d) | |
| ? - 1483 | Thomas DOWRYSSH | First reference, 1468-9. Repeated references thereafter until 1482-3, when he received only a half year's salary. He died on 10 February 1483 (Inquistion post mortem) | |
| 1483 | William HUTTESFELD | The only authority for his recordership is the sixteenth-century John Hooker (Book 51, f.321) whose reference to the early recorders contain several errors) | |
| 1483-1497 | Thomas HEXT | First reference, 1483-4. Repeated references to receiver's Rolls until 1490. According to a contemporary source (Book 55, f.62v) he died in office in April 1497 (The recordership of Robert Chubbe, 1493-6, in Alexander's list is a mistake.) | |
| 1497-?1499 | William BURGYN | Elected 13 May 1497 (Book 55, f. 62v). The second date derives only from Hooker, according to whom his successor was elected after his death in March 1499 (Book 51, f. 330) | |
| ?1499 -1506 | Roger HOLAND | Elected March 1499, according to Hooker (Book 51, f. 330) Certainly in office in 1499-1500. | |
| 1506-1514 | Lewis POLLARD | ||
| 1514-1543 | Sir Thomas DENYS | ||
| 1543-1550 | John HARRYS | ||
| 1550-1560 | Sir Thomas DENYS | ||
| 1560-1563 | John CHARLES | ||
| 1563-1574 | Geoffrey TOTHILL | Sworn in office, 2 October 1568; referred to as deceased, 18 September 1574. | |
| 1574-1592 | Sir Robert DENNYS | Elected 18 September 1574; ordered that he be entreated to resign, as unable to execute the office, 1 May 1592; referred to as having resigned, 20 May 1592 | |
| 1592 | Edward DREWE | Chosen and sworn, 20 May 1592; a replacement chosen, on his appointment as recorder of London, 29 June 1592 | |
| 1592-1605 | John HELE | Elected 29 June 1592; to be asked to resign, as unable to attend to his office, 19 October 1605 | |
| 1606-1617 | William MARTYN | Elected 4 February 1606; held office for life; buried in St Petrock's, Exeter 12 April 1617 | |
| 1617-1628 | Nicholas DUCKE | Elected 15 April 1617; held office for life; buried in Exeter Cathedral, 9 September 1628 | |
| 1628-1632 | Richard WALTHAM | Elected 10 September 1628; died 5 August 1632 | |
| 1632-1643 | Peter BALL | Elected 21 August 1632; dismissed from office, 14 February 1643 | |
| 1643 | Edmund PRYDEAUX | Elected 22 April 1643; election declared void, as having been unduly made, 4 November 1643 | |
| 1643-1646 | Sir Peter BALL | Reinstated 13 November 1643; his election declared void, 12 May 1646 | |
| 1646-1654 | Edmund PRYDEAUX | Restored to office, 12 May 1646; referred to as having resigned, 28 March 1654 | |
| 1654-1660 | Thomas BAMPFEILD | Elected and sworn, 28 March 1654 | |
| 1660-1676 | Sir Peter BALL | Reinstated 11 October 1660; resigned 25 April 1676 | |
| 1676-1681 | Sir Thomas CAREW | Elected 9 May 1676; held office for life; died 25 July 1681, and buried St Thomas, Exeter. | |
| 1681 | Edward SEYMOUR | Elected, but not sworn, because unable to be present in the city, 6 August 1681. | |
| 1681 | Sir Thomas WALKER | Elected and sworn, since it was necessary for a recorder to be present at the mayoral election at Michaelmas, 26 September; resigned 3 October 1681 | |
| 1681-1683 | Edward SEYMOUR | Sworn in office, 8 October 1681; resigned, as unable to carry out his duties, 28 February 1683. | |
| 1683 | John BEARE | Elected and sworn, at Seymour's request, 28 February 1683; to be asked to resign, 26 June 1683. | |
| 1683-1707 | Edward SEYMOUR | Re-elected 19 June 1683, referred to as having resigned, 7 October 1707. | |
| 1707-1728 | Nicholas HOOPER | Elected 7 October 1707; referred to as having resigned, 21 September 1728 | |
| 1728-1751 | John BELFIELD | Elected and sworn, 21 September 1728; held office for life; died 20 October 1751. | |
| 1751-1764 | John CHOLWICH | Elected and sworn, 29 October 1751; referred to as having resigned, 15 Octiber 1764. | |
| 1764-1779 | John GLYNN | Elected 15 October 1764; held office for life; died 16 September 1779. | |
| 1779-1780 | John HEATH | Elected and sworn, 25 September 1779; resigned on being appointed a judge in the Court of Common Pleas, 7 August 1780. | |
| 1780-1794 | Stephen HAWTREY | Elected and sworn, 7 August 1780; resigned for reasons of ill health, 26 July 1794. | |
| 1794-1814 | Charles FANSHAWE | Elected and sworn, 31 July 1794; held office for life; referred to as deceased 23 June 1814 | |
| 1814-1820 | William COURTENAY | Elected 28 June 1814; referred to as having resigned, 30 December 1820. | |
| 1820-1832 | Thomas STEVENS | Elected and sworn, 30 December 1820; held office for life; died 14 January 1832. | |
| 1832-1835 | John Taylor COLERIDGE | Elected and sworn, 16 March 1832; resigned, on having been appointed a judge in the Court of King's Bench, 4 May 1835. | |
| 1835-1851 | Francis Newman ROGERS | Elected and sworn, 27 June 1835; held office for life; died 19 July 1851. | |
| 1851-1856 | John Alexander KINGSLAKE | First presided at Quarter Sessions, 13 October 1851; last presided, 31 December 1855. | |
| 1856-1867 | John Shapland STOCK | Appointed 28 November 1856; died 7 May 1867. | |
| 1867-1876 | Henry Charles LOPEZ | First presided at Quarter Sessions, 7 July 1867; last presided, 16 October 1876. | |
| 1876-1879 | Charles Grevile PRIDEAUX | First presided at Quarter Sessions, 1 January 1877; last presided, 13 October 1879. | |
| 1879-1885 | Arthur John Hammond COLLINS | First presided at Quarter Sessions, 5 January1880; last presided, 29 June 1885. | |
| 1885-1899 | Thomas Townsend BUCKNILL | First presided at Quarter Sessions, 19 October 1885; his appointment as a High Court judge was reported to the Council on 11 January 1899. | |
| 1899-1922 | John Alderson FOOTE | Appointed 21 January 1899; held office for life; died 26 April 1922. | |
| 1922-1932 | Sir (Edward)Percival CLARKE | Appointed 5 June 1922; resigned 1932, to become Chairman of the County of London Quarter Sessions. | |
| 1932-1946 | Geoffrey Dorling ROBERTS | Appointed 15 December 1932; appointed recorder of Bristol, 21 May 1946. | |
| 1946-1953 | Henry ELAM | Appointed 14 August 1946; resigned 1953, to become Deputy Chairman of the County of London Quarter Sessions, 1 January 1954. | |
| 1954-1960 | Sir Joseph Thomas MOLONY | Appointed 24 February 1954; resigned 1960, to become recorder of Southampton; appointed recorder of Bristol, 30 April 1964 | |
| 1960-1964 | The Hon. Sir Hugh Eames PARK | Appointed 3 June 1960; resigned 1964, to become recorder of Southampton; appointed a Judge of the High Court, 14 June 1965. | |
| 1964-1966 | Raymond STOCK | Appointed 23 June 1964; resigned 1966, to become recorder of Southampton; appointed County Court Judge, 20 September 1971. | |
| 1966-1971 | Milson George POLSON | Appointed 29 June 1966. | |
| CLERK OF THE PEACE | |||
| ?1537 -1538 | William BURGEYN | Elected town clerk 14 August 1521; resigned 22 December 1538 | |
| 1538-1575 | Richard HERT | Elected 23 December 1538; died in office 6 May 1575 | |
| 1575-1620 | Edward HERT | Elected and sworn, 9 May 1575; resigned 22 April 1620 | |
| 1620-1624 | John MARTYN | Elected 22 Aoril 1620; died in office; buried in St Martin's, Exeter, 20 April 1624 | |
| 1624-1647 | Samuel ISACKE | Elected 4 May 1624; a successor chosen, 9 December 1647, since Isacke, as a royalist, was incapable of exercising the office. | |
| 1647-1648 | John FARTHING | Elected 9 December 1647 | |
| 1648-1660 | Thomas WESTLAKE | Elected 21 September 1648 | |
| 1660-1682 | Samuel ISACKE | Reinstated after the Restoration; resigned in favour of his son, 3 January 1682 | |
| 1682-1698 | Richard ISACKE | Elected and sworn, 3 January 1682; held office for life; died 13 March 1698 | |
| 1698-1700 | John MANNINGTON | Elected and sworn, 21 June 1698; held office for life; buried in St Martin's, Exeter, 16 December 1700 | |
| 1701-1733 | John CARWITHEN | Elected and sworn, 25 February 1701; held office for life; buried in St Petrock's, Exeter, 25 July 1733. | |
| 1733-1752 | Henry GANDY | Elected and sworn, 31 July 1733; held office for life. | |
| 1752-1766 | Benjamin HEATH | Elected and sworn, 23 March 1752; held office for life; died 13 September 1766. | |
| 1766 | Thomas COFFIN | Elected and sworn, 22 September 1766; resigned 11 October 1766. | |
| 1766-1775 | John HEATH | Elected and sworn, 11 October 1766; resigned on becoming a sergeant-at-law, 1 June 1775 | |
| 1775-1814 | Henry LEY | Elected and sworn, 1 June 1775; resigned 10 September 1814. | |
| 1814-1835 | Edward GATTEY | Elected and sworn, 10 September 1814; resigned in consequence of the Municipal Corporations Act. | |
| 1836-1865 | John GIDLEY | Elected 1 January 1836; held office for life; died 8 October 1865. | |
| 1865-1899 | Thomas Julius BREMRIDGE | Elected 14 October 1865; held office for life; died 8 October 1899. | |
| 1899-1905 | George Roberts SHORTO | Appointed 16 October 1899; held office for life; died 23 August 1905. | |
| 1905-1930 | Charles Tanner Kingdon ROBERTS | Elected 27 September 1905; resigned 21 October 1930. | |
| 1930-1961 | Cyril James NEWMAN | Elected 25 November 1930; retired 27 August 1961. | |
| 1961-1968 | William Angus McSKIMMING | Elected 18 September 1961; retired 1 April 1968. | |
| 1968-1971 | Alan Edgar BENNETT | Elected 23 April 1968. | |
"A list of the sheriffs of Exeter 1537-1860 appears in The History of Exeter by George Oliver, 2nd edition 1861, pp. 237-241, and a list up to 1831 based on the accounts rendered by sheriffs in the Exchequer is given in the Public Record Office's Lists and Indexes, No.IX. The list of sheriffs up to 1552 given in Oliver's list was superseded by an article by J.J. Alexander in Devon and Cornwall Notes and Queries, XIX, pp. 297-299 but still leaves some gaps. For other names this author has relied on Hooker's Commonplace Book but Hooker's memory obviously did not serve him correctly in all cases. The present list up tp 1552 is taken primarily from the Mayor's Court Books and Mayor's Court Rolls, entries being supplied from the Act Books where these two are defective and where there are two sheriffs in one year. All three are official sources of the City Chamber. For the names from 1552-1831, the Public Record Office's list has been checked with the official Exeter sources and the local spelling of the name given where possible. The list has been continued from 1831 up to date using the Council Minute Books."
Sheriffs appointed for the years 1637 to 1860 are listed in Oliver's book published 1861. The following are those appointed for the years 1861 to 1971.
There is no listing of names for those of the years to 1899 and the following are those appointed for the years 1900 to 1971. The information booklet has:
"The names of Exeter's under sheriffs were not systematically recorded until the nineteenth century but it is assumed that it was an annual appointment made by the new sheriff at Michaelmas. It was reported at the Municipal Corporations Enquiry made at Exeter in 1833 that an under sheriff was generally a solicitor."
| SHERIFFS | |
| 1861 to 1971 | |
| 1861 | John WARE |
| 1862 | Thomas BLACKALL |
| 1863 | Robert Thomas HEAD |
| 1864 | George COOPER |
| 1865 | George TUCKER |
| 1866 | Edwin FORCE |
| 1867 | Edwrad GREEN |
| 1868 | Charles WESCOMBE |
| 1869 | Joseph HARDING |
| 1870 | William ROOKES |
| 1871 | Horace Charles LLOYD |
| 1872 | Charles Harriott ROPER |
| 1873 | William Horton ELLIS |
| 1874 | Henry WILCOCKS |
| 1875 | John DREW |
| 1876 | James Langdon THOMAS |
| 1877 | William COTTON |
| 1878 | Samuel WARD |
| 1879 | Samuel JONES |
| 1880 | Alfred Roberts Steele PERKINS |
| 1881 | William HENDERSON |
| 1882 | Henry Frederick WILLEY |
| 1883 | Charles Tanner Kingdon ROBERTS |
| 1884 | Albert james HAMLIN |
| 1885 | Richard LEY |
| 1886 | George COLSON |
| 1887 | Henry DAVY |
| 1888 | Walter William TREMLETT |
| 1889 | Charles Buckley SANDERS |
| 1890 | Robert POPLE |
| 1891 | Arthur Johnston MACKEY |
| 1892 | Frederick TOWNSEND |
| 1893 | Arthur William BUCKINGHAM |
| 1894 | Cecil Robert Mainwaring CLAPP |
| 1895 | Frederick Templer DEPREE |
| 1896 | Thomas WILSON |
| 1897 | John Delpratt HARRIS |
| 1898 | Henry DREW |
| 1899 | George Frederick GRATWICKE |
| 1900 | Tom LINSCOTT |
| 1901 | Theophilus KNAPMAN |
| 1902 | William Richard MALLETT |
| 1903 | Andrew McCREA |
| 1904 | Walter KING |
| 1905 | Thomas Bradley ROWE |
| 1906 | Ransom PICKARD |
| 1907 | Hneyr Hugh WIPPETT |
| 1908 | William Kendall KING |
| 1909 | George Masters CARDEW |
| 1910 | James George OWEN |
| 1911 | Thomas Carter PRING |
| 1912 | Richard EVERY |
| 1913 | John Shirley Steele STEELE-PERKINS |
| 1914 | Russell COOMBE |
| 1915 | John STOCKER |
| 1916 | Sebastian Moreton WHITE |
| 1917 | Harold Charles ROWE |
| 1918 | William TOWNSEND |
| 1919 | Sidney ANDREW |
| 1920 | John Walton HUSSEY |
| 1921 | Arthur Ernest BROCK |
| 1922 | Douglas McLAREN |
| 1923 | Vincent THOMPSON |
| 1924 | James DUNSFORD |
| 1925 | Kenneth GATEY |
| 1926 | Henry Theodore MICHELMORE |
| 1927 | Richard Wayland SMITH |
| 1928 | Thomas John Wenbridge TEMPLEMAN |
| 1929 | Andrew ANSTEY |
| 1930 | James William ACKROYD |
| 1931 | Charles Josiah ROSS |
| 1932 | Walter John OTTON |
| 1933 | Reginald John REW |
| 1934 | William Wallace BEER |
| 1935 | Rowland Glave SAUNDERS |
| 1936 | Norman Francis LOCK |
| 1937 | John Geoffrey Rowe ORCHARD |
| 1938 | William Thomas SLADER |
| 1939 | henry Edgar BRADLEY |
| 1940 | Ernest James MANSFIELD |
| 1941 | Francis Henry TARR |
| 1942 | John Davey SEWARD |
| 1943 | William Outon WILLS |
| 1944 | Frederick Peter COTTEY |
| 1945 | Henry BRADBEER |
| 1946 | Charles William Holcombe HILL |
| 1947 | Alfred James BOVEY |
| he continued in office until 1949 | |
| 1949 | William BROCK |
| 1950 | Gilbert John GREENSLADE |
| 1951 | William Henry Chatterley BISHOP |
| 1952 | Arthur Henry ROBERTS |
| 1953 | Walter george DAW |
| 1954 | Ronald Hay CREASY |
| 1955 | Charles REW |
| 1856 | Alfred Peter STEELE-PERKINS |
| 1957 | Kenneth Charles Harold ROWE |
| 1958 | John Grey WARNE |
| 1959 | Edward Pearse WHEATLEY |
| 1960 | Wilfrid Arthur COX |
| 1961 | John Besley MARTIN |
| 1962 | Arthur James DUNSFORD |
| 1963 | Minnie NICHOLS |
| 1964 | Thomas Benjamin Horatio CHAPPELL |
| 1965 | Percy HILTON |
| 1966 | William James HALLETT |
| 1967 | Philip Francis BROOKS |
| 1968 | Edward Simpson DOWELL |
| 1969 | Ernesty Charles Lovelace TOZER |
| 1970 | Gordon Anthony JOY |
| 1971 | Edgar Michael McGAHEY |
| UNDER SHERIFFS | |
| 1900 to 1971 | |
| 1900 | William Linford BROWN |
| 1901 | William Linford BROWN |
| 1902 | William Linford bROWN |
| 1903 | Albert Martin ALFORD |
| 1904 | Alfred Martin ALFORD |
| 1905 | Albert Martin ALFORD |
| 1906 | Sidney ANDREW |
| 1907 | Alfred ANSTEY |
| 1908 | Lewis Drew THOMAS |
| 1909 | Henry CAMPION |
| 1910 | Sidney ANDREW |
| 1911 | Eustace M. FORD |
| 1912 | Sidney ANDREW |
| 1913 | Sidney ANDREW |
| 1914 | George William JACKSON |
| 1915 | Sidney ANDREW |
| 1916 | Sidney ANDREW |
| 1917 | Sidney ANDREW |
| 1918 | Alfred ANSTEY |
| 1919 | Stanley William CLEAVE |
| 1920 | Maurice Arthur MATHEW |
| 1921 | Stanley William CLEAVE |
| 1922 | Stanley William CLEAVE |
| 1923 | Maurice Arthur MATHEW |
| 1924 | Thomas John Wembridge TEMPLEMAN |
| 1925 | Stanley William CLEAVE |
| 1926 | Maurice Arthur MATHEW |
| 1927 | Thomas John Wembridge TEMPLEMAN |
| 1928 | Robert John McGAHEY |
| 1929 | George William Archibald JACKSON |
| 1930 | Thomas John Wembridge TEMPLEMAN |
| 1931 | William Spensley SIMEY |
| 1932 | Thomas John Wembridge TEMPLEMAN |
| 1933 | Arthur John McGAHEY |
| 1934 | Arthur John McGAHEY |
| 1935 | Arthur John McGAHEY |
| 1936 | William ANSTEY |
| 1937 | Arthur William ANSTEY |
| 1938 | John bernard Charles TRAFFORD |
| 1939 | Frederick Peter COFFEY |
| 1940 | Frederick Peter COFFEY |
| 1941 | Frederick Peter COFFEY |
| 1942 | George Henry STEPHENS |
| 1943 | Ewart A. THOMAS |
| 1944 | Ewart A. THOMAS |
| 1945 | Ewart A. THOMAS |
| 1946 | Rober James MCGAHEY |
| 1947 | Jeffery Roy PEARSON |
| 1948 | ? |
| 1949 | Thomas ANSTEY |
| 1950 | Douglas Bertram CROSSE |
| 1951 | Alfred Peter STEELE-PERKINS |
| 1952 | Alfred Peter STEELE-PERKINS |
| 1953 | George Frederick Upham GULLIDGE |
| 1954 | James Franck Godwin MICHELMORE |
| 1955 | William Spensley SIMEY |
| 1956 | Richard Harrison TRAFFORD |
| 1957 | Paul Eaton PETTIT |
| 1958 | Richard Harrison TRAFFORD |
| 1959 | John Richard Francis DAW |
| 1960 | Herbert Samual SARGENT |
| 1961 | James Franck Godwin MICHELMORE |
| 1962 | Robert Musgrove HILTON |
| 1963 | Richard Harrison TRAFFORD |
| 1964 | William James HALLETT |
| 1965 | Peter James CHALK |
| 1966 | William James HALLETT |
| 1967 | George Richard Spensley SIMEY |
| 1968 | John Patrick CROSSE |
| 1960 | John Philip SEDGMAN |
| 1970 | John Philip SEDGMAN |
| 1971 | Roger John KEAST |
Last updated: 1 Feb 2011 - Brian Randell
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