Catalogue description Duchy of Lancaster: Records of Appointment of the High Sheriff of the County Palatine of Lancaster

The sherrif was 'elected' or chosen by the monarch at a meeting at the Duchy of Lancaster office, usually held in November. The names of three people were drawn up on a parchment document, known within the Duchy office as the 'lites'. The name of the sherriff to be elected would in fact be already known and is usually the first name on the list. The monarch would mark of 'prick' (ie pierce the document) by the relevant name and sign the document. It, therefore, became the sign manual bill for the Chancellor of the Duchy and Palatinate to make the appointment. The document was prepared in the Duchy office and usually checked by the clerk of the duchy and the attorney-general. It is in Latin until 1733.

Warrant for letters patent

On receipt of the sign manual bill the chancellor of the Duchy wrote a signed warrant to the clerk of the Duchy to prepare a letters patent of appointment under the seal of the Palatinate of Lancaster. This warrant was on paper and in English.

Draft letters patent

On receipt of the chancellor's warrant a draft of the patent was drawn up in preaparation for the engrossing and sealing of the actual document to be given to the incoming sheriff. While the appointment was always for a year the patent sates that it was during the monarch's pleasure and an appointment was, therefore ended by the patent appointing the next sherrif. The draft patent was on paper and in Latin until 1733. It was checked and signed by the clerk of the Duchy, or his deputy, and the attorney-general.

Warrants for commission

The chancellor also wrote and signed a warrant to the clerk of the Duchy to prepare a commission, or dedimus potestatem, under the seal of the Duchy of Lancaster. This was on paper and in english.

Commission

The commission, or dedimus potestatem, is a parchment document under the Duchy seal addressed to commissioners in Lancashire. They were appointed to hear the oath of the new sheriff and had to certify that they had done so. The certification was often endorsed on the commission or there was a separate certificate signed and sealed by the commissioners. The commission was in Latin until 1733 and checked by the lerk of the Duchy.

Oath of office

The sherrif's oath of office was attached to the commission, although it may have now become separated. The oath was as laid down by statute (4 Hen IV, c 5) . From 1835 the oath of the undersherrif was attached. The undersherriff was appointed by the sheriff and from at least the 1830's was sworn in at the same ceremony as the sherrif.