CLERKS OF THE PEACE.
For the County.
The Custos Rotulorum of the county has the appointment of the
Clerk of the Peace. Whereas, by reason of sundry persons having
been granted the office of the Clerkship of the Peace being not
learned nor yet meet nor able for lack of knowledge and learning to
occupy and exercise the office, many indictments as well of felony,
murder and other offences and misdemeanors and the process awarded
upon the same, have been made frustrate and void by negligent
ingrossing, enrolment and keeping the same by the aforesaid Clerks
to the great hindrance of Justice, etc. For reformation whereof be
it enacted that every Custos Rotulorum for the time being shall at all
times hereafter nominate, elect, appoint and assign such able persons
who are instructed in the Laws of the Realm as shall be able to
exercise and occupy the office, so that the said Clerk demean him in
the said office justly and honourably. See Act 37 Henry VIII, c.1.
The title of "Clerk" originally belonged to the Holy Ministry of
the Church as the monks were perhaps the only men in those times
who could use a pen. And as such monks were at first appointed
officers of the Courts of Law, we gain the second sense which denotes
any person, whether clerical or lay, who practises his pen to record all
things judicially done by the Justices in any court.
The following is a list of the Clerks of the Peace for Westmorland,
going back as far as the Rolls of Quarter Sessions allow.
|
| 1669–1678 | Richard Rowlandson. |
| 1678–1681 | George Fothergill. |
| –1688 | — Hudson. |
| 1706–1729 | Richard Baynes. |
| 1729–1736 | William Carleton. |
| 1736–1744 | William Wilkin. |
| 1744–1750 | Richard Wordsworth. |
| 1750–1755 | John Robinson. |
| 1763–1776 | Joseph Robinson. |
| 1776–1778 | John Nicholson. |
| 1778–1780 | George Wheatley. |
| 1780–1792 | Joshua Nicholson. |
| 1793–1797 | Henry Tatham. |
| 1798–1800 | — Saul. |
| 1800–1812 | John Richardson. |
| 1812–1838 | Rich. S. Stephenson. |
| 1839–1888 | John Bell. |
| 1888–1916 | John Bolton |
| 1916–1918 | Alexander Milne. |
| 1919– | H. B. Greenwood. |
THE HIGH CONSTABLES.
For the East and West Wards.
|
| East Ward. | West Ward. |
|---|
| 1661–1664 | John Hall. | 1661–1664 | Thomas Rigg. |
| 1664–1666 | John Gowling. | 1664–1666 | William Langhorn. |
| 1666–1674 | William Fairer. | 1666–1674 | William Thwaites. |
| 1674– | Thomas Birkbeck. | 1674–1679 | Richard Smith. |
| 1698– | Thomas Robinson | 1679– | John Smith deputy. |
| 1702–1703 | Henry Aiskill. | 1683–1702 | John Smith. |
| 1703–1716 | John Robinson. | 1703–1706 | John Webster. |
| 1716–1717 | Thomas Scaife. | 1706–1731 | Richard Smith. |
| 1717–1725 | Thomas Monkhouse. | | |
| 1725–1730 | Anthony Parkin. | | |
| 1730–1742 | Charles Robinson. | 1731–1756 | Henry Holme, the elder. |
| 1742–1744 | Thomas Lamb. | | |
| 1744–1753 | Robert Bownass. | | |
| 1753–1787 | John Bownass the elder. | 1756–1797 | Henry Holme, the younger. |
| 1787–1798 | John Bownass, the younger. | | |
| 1798–1803 | John Cleasby. | 1798–1844 | Thomas Holme. |
| 1803–1822 | Richard Dixon. | | |
| 1822–1835 | William Dixon. | 1844– | Henry Holme. |
| 1835– | Thomas Harrison. | | |
| 1849–1856 | John Bird. | | |
In 1856 Cumberland and Westmorland joined together in appointing
Mr. John Dunn as Chief Constable over the two counties. His
salary was not to exceed £300 with £150 for all travelling expenses, and
that Westmorland should not be called upon to pay more than one-fourth of such salary and expense.