When the Normans arrived in 1066, they retained the old English Shires – calling them Counties. The principal officer whose job was to enforce Royal decrees in each county was the Shire Reeve or Sheriff. Over the centuries the role of the Sheriff gradually declined due to discontent arising from corruption and the establishment of justices of the peace. One of his roles was a military one, to organise county levies when needed. However, these were not allowed to serve abroad. So, monarchs sometimes ordered noblemen – who gradually became called ‘Lieutenants’ – to raise other troops for such service. Over time, these Lieutenants took on the role of raising local militias and other responsibilities and in 1549 Parliament recognised the appointment of Lieutenants in times of emergency “for the suppressing of any commotions, rebellions or unlawful assembly”.
Appointments continued irregularly until 1585, when county Lieutenants became permanent and were appointed for life or long terms – with a brief gap during the Commonwealth, before being restored by Charles II in 1660. The first known Lieutenant in Cornwall was Francis Russell, 2nd Earl of Bedford. Probably the most famous one was Sir Walter Raleigh, Lieutenant 1587-1603; he is also the only Cornish (Lord) Lieutenant to have been executed. The first female Lord-Lieutenant was Jean Roberts, elected Lord Provost of Glasgow and ex officio Lord-Lieutenant of Glasgow too. Lavinia, Duchess of Norfolk was the first woman to be appointed Lord-Lieutenant (for West Sussex) in 1975.
By 1569, provision was made for the appointment of Deputy Lieutenants (DLs). For most of the 20th century, DLs were required to have a military background, as they were considered to be military appointments. This was changed in 1966 and now DLs are all distinguished people who have made a major contribution to their country and Cornwall; they come from a wide range of backgrounds and from across Cornwall.
Originally, the Lord-Lieutenant was made responsible for the maintenance of order and for all military measures necessary locally for defence. In Cornwall there were separate militia units for tin-miners – the Tinners – whose operation was controlled by the Lieutenant in his capacity of Lord Warden of the Stannaries. Although by the Regulation of the Forces Act 1871 the militia was removed from the Lord-Lieutenant’s direct control, it was not until 1921 that the Lord-Lieutenant finally lost the power to call on all able-bodied men of the County to fight in case of need. The traditional links with the armed forces have been preserved in a modern form in the association of the Lord-Lieutenant with the volunteer Reserve Forces and through links with the local armed forces, police, fire and ambulance services.
From the earliest days, the Lord-Lieutenant was closely associated with the magistracy. Until the 19th century the Lord-Lieutenant was appointed the Clerk of Peace. In the English and Welsh shires, the Lord-Lieutenant is usually the chairman or vice chairman of the Magistrates’ Advisory Committee and will hold the ancient appointment of Custos Rotulorum (Keeper of the Rolls).
It was not until the early years of the reign of Queen Elizabeth II that the title was officially changed from Lieutenant to Lord-Lieutenant. The office of the Lord-Lieutenant has been provided for in statute, most recently in the Lieutenancies Act 1997. The reigning Monarch appoints Lord-Lieutenants on the recommendation of the Prime Minister and approves the appointments of Vice Lord-Lieutenants under these statutes. The Monarch may disapprove of the proposed appointment of a Deputy Lieutenant.