The Office of the Lord Lieutenant was created during the reign of Henry VIII (1509–1547), taking over the military duties of the Sheriffs and control of the military forces of the Crown. From 1569 there was provision for the appointment of Deputy Lieutenants, and in 1662 the Lord-Lieutenant was given entire control of the militia. The Regulation of the Forces Act 1871 transferred this function back to the Crown, and in 1921, the office lost its power to call upon men of the county to fight in case of need. Since 1711 all the Lord Lieutenants have also been Custos Rotulorum of Devon.
Lord Lieutenants are appointed by the King for each county in the United Kingdom, to represent the Crown. They are non-political and retire at the age of 75. The post is unpaid.
The five main duties of the Lord Lieutenant are:
The following persons served as Lord Lieutenant of Devon:
This list is incomplete; you can help by adding missing items. (August 2008) |
A deputy lieutenant of Devon is commissioned by the Lord Lieutenant of Devon. Deputy lieutenants support the work of the lord-lieutenant. There can be several deputy lieutenants at any time, depending on the population of the county. Their appointment does not terminate with the changing of the lord-lieutenant, but they usually retire at age 75.
This list is incomplete; you can help by adding missing items. (July 2022) |