The High Sheriff of King's County was the British Crown's judicial representative in King's County (now County Offaly), Ireland, from 1556, when King's County was created, until 1922, when the office was abolished in the new Free State and replaced by the office of Offaly County Sheriff. The sheriff had judicial, electoral, ceremonial and administrative functions and executed High Court writs. In 1908, an Order in Council made the Lord-Lieutenant the sovereign's prime representative in a county and reduced the High Sheriff's precedence. However, the sheriff retained his responsibilities for the preservation of law and order in the county. The usual procedure for appointing the sheriff from 1660 onwards was that three persons were nominated at the beginning of each year from the county and the Lord Lieutenant then appointed his choice as High Sheriff for the remainder of the year. Often the other nominees were appointed as under-sheriffs. Sometimes a sheriff did not fulfil his entire term through death or other event and another sheriff was then appointed for the remainder of the year. The dates given hereunder are the dates of appointment. All addresses are in King's County (County Offaly) unless stated otherwise.
High Sheriffs of King's County
1656: Henry L'Estrange
1657: Sir George Blundell, 2nd Baronet
1662: Philip Bigoe
1663: Charles Lyons of River Lyons
1667: Thomas Wakely
1671: John Reading of Readingstown
1672: John Baldwin
1674: Jonathan Darby of Leap Castle
1680: Edward Bagot
Robert Lovett
1693: Geoffrey Lyons of River Lyons
1694: James Sterling
1695: John Wakely of Ballyburly
1697: John Baldwin, jnr of Corolanty
1698: Hector Vaughan of Dromoyle and Knocknamease
1701: Richard Warburton of Garryhinch
1702: Geoffrey Lyons of River Lyons
1703: John Reading of Readingstown
1704: Geoffrey Lyons of River Lyons
1705: Francis Heaton of Mount Heaton
1707: Peter Holmes of Johnstown
1708: 1711: James Forth of Charleville Castle 1713: George Holmes of Liscloony 1715: Colley Lyons, MP, of River Lyons 1717: Benjamin Frend of Boskell, County Limerick and Ballyreehy 1720: Henry Malone of Litter 1721: 1726: Thomas Wakely of Ballyburly 1730: Edmund Armstrong 1731: 1738: Warenford Armstrong 1738: Hector Vaughan of Fancroft 1740: John Frend of Boskell, County Limerick and Ballyreehy 1741: Nicholas Biddulph of Fortal and Rath-Robin 1744: Henry Lyons of River Lyons 1750: Arthur Judge of Readingstown 1751: Andrew Armstrong 1752: George Fraser of Park and Cuba House 1753: 1754: Peter Marsh of Moyally 1755: Francis Lumm, later Sir Francis Lumm, 1st Baronet of Lummville 1756: 1759: John O'Connor of Mount Pleasant
George III, 1760–1820
1763: John Wakely of Ballyburly
1764: Daniel Chenevix, of Ballycommon
1766: William Peisley Vaughan of Golden Grove
1768: John Minchin of Bushertown
1769: 1771: Gilbert Holmes of Belmont 1772: Owen Moony of Lackaghbeg 1774: Denis Bowes Daly 1777: Christopher Bor 1777: Andrew Armstrong of Castle Armstrong 1779: Sir William Parsons, 4th Baronet 1780: John Drought 1782: John King 1782: Benjamin Frend of Clooneen 1783: Maurice Nugent O'Connor 1784: James Frank Roleston of Dunkerrin 1785: Thomas Bernard, of Castle-Town 1786: John Warburton of Garryhinch 1787: Jonathan Darby of Leap Castle 1788: 1792: Thomas Ryder of Laughton 1793: William Carroll Moony of New Lawn, County Tipperary 1794: Robert James Enraght-Moony of The Doon 1796: John Wakely of Ballyburly 1798: Thomas Bernard of Castle Bernard 1799: Henry Verney Lovett Darby of Annvilla 1801: Richard Warburton of Garryhinch 1801: Joseph Studholme of Ballyeighan and Kilmaine 1802: Charles Baldwin 1803: Jackson Wray Atkinson of Cangort 1804: James Frank Rolleston of Frankfort Castle 1805: William Peasley Vaughan of Golden Grove 1806: Maunsell Andrews of Rathenny 1807: John Downing Nesbitt 1808: John Drought 1809: Thomas St George Armstrong of Garry Castle House 1810: George Arbuthnot Holmes of Moorock 1811: Sir Andrew Armstrong, Bt 1812: George Meares John Drought 1813: Humphrey Borr 1814: Henry Spunner 1815: George Marsh 1816: Thomas Homan Mulock of Bellair 1816: Henry Peisley l'Estrange, jnr of Moystown 1817: Richard Malone 1818: Edmund Armstrong 1819: Garrett O'Moore