New High Sheriff of Staffordshire appointed in virtual ceremony
Charles Bagot Jewitt has made history as the first High Sheriff of Staffordshire to be appointed in an online ceremony in more than 1,000 years.
The retired Royal Navy commander was appointed to the oldest ceremonial position in the UK during a 'virtual' ceremony due to the Covid-19 outbreak.
The High Sheriff is the Queen's representative in the county for all matters relating to the judiciary and the maintenance of law and order. Much of the High Sheriff's year of office is spent supporting and encouraging the voluntary and statutory organisations which work in this area, and also working with the courts, police, prison and probation services.
The 54-year-old from Blithfield, near Rugeley, served with the Royal Navy for 22 years, before taking up appointments including chief executive of the National Memorial Arboretum at Alrewas and most recently area officer for youth charity the Marine Society and Sea Cadets.
Commander Bagot Jewitt said: “I have the oldest job in the UK, but Covid-19 won’t stop a 1,000-year-old position.
"The position of High Sheriff has evolved and survived and in early 2020 it starts in the virtual world."
He said the current lockdown meant much of his work would be carried out remotely over the internet.
His first role will be to support the foundation’s Covid-19 appeal which has raised more than £100,000 in less than a week to help voluntary groups affected by the virus.
“I will support the amazing emergency services, armed forces, local authorities and voluntary groups but to start off in just in a slightly different way," he said.
Positives
"We must try to take positives out of all challenges and I hope the work I do this year will connect with new people and groups, especially the youth and voluntary sector which I am keen to support during my appointment.”
The High Sheriff said he was keen to focus on crime prevention among the young.
He added that provided the lockdown was lifted, he planned to cycle around the county with a modern-day posse from August 1-8 to highlight the High Sheriff’s role, as well as visiting Staffordshire tourist sites to help promote the county.
He will also to raise money for the Community Foundation for Staffordshire which assists in sponsoring Staffordshire High Sheriff’s awards each March.
The Office of High Sheriff is the oldest continuous secular office under the Crown and can be traced back more than 1,000 years to the reign of the Saxon King 'Ethelred the Unready' (978-1016).
High Sheriffs were originally appointed to act as the sovereign's representative in their county, and they wielded great power sitting in judgement at trials and were responsible for general law and order. They could raise the 'hue and cry' in pursuit of criminals and keep the King's Peace by mobilising the 'posse', the full military might of the county.
