The documentary record
From the archive.
The instruments on which the modern hereditary sheriffdom rests, reproduced from the holder’s muniments: the Crown charter of 1859, the disposition of 2004, the Letters Patent of 2007, the assignation of 2024 and the Register certificate of 2024. Select an image to see it at full size.
Register of the Great Seal
Charter of Confirmation, 19 October 1859
Queen Victoria’s charter confirms “for ever” to Henrietta Anderson Morshead Leslie, Countess of Rothes, the Earldom of Rothes and its lands, including “All and Whole the Office of Sheriff of the foresaid Sheriffdom of Fife … in so far as the said Office of Sheriff and pertinents thereof are not abolished” by the Act of 1746, with a destination ending in “her other heirs and assigns whatsoever”.
General Register of Sasines, County of Fife
Disposition of 4 May 2004
The last conveyance of the office under feudal land tenure. The deed dispones “All and Whole the office of Sheriff of the Sheriffdom of Fife … insofar as the said Office of Sheriff and pertinents thereof are not abolished by the Act of Parliament passed in the Twentieth year of the reign of his late Majesty George II”, repeating the words of the charter of 1859.
Court of the Lord Lyon
Letters Patent of 6 August 2007
The Letters Patent in favour of Sir Philip Christopher Ondaatje style him “Feudal Earl of Rothes and Baron and Feudal Lord of Leslie and Holder of the territorial office of Sheriff of Fife”, and recite his infeftment as at 26 November 2004 in the barony and territorial lordship of Leslie and the territorial earldom of Rothes “together with the territorial office of Sheriff of Fife”.
Deed of assignation
Assignation of 5 November 2024
Sir Christopher Ondaatje’s deed of assignation of 5 November 2024 transferred “all my whole right and entitlement” in the Earldom of Rothes and the Sheriffdom of Fife to His Excellency Dario Item, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Antigua and Barbuda. The deed records the assignation as a token of personal esteem.
Scottish Barony Register
Certificate of Registration, 19 December 2024
The Custodian certifies that the Claim of Entitlement of Ambassador Dario Item “to The Dignity of the Feudal Earldom of Rothes and the Hereditary Office of Sheriff of Fife” was accepted and registered on 25 November 2024. In his annual report the Custodian described it as “the first time the Register has been asked to record an hereditary sheriffdom”.
Published sources
Where the evidence can be read.
A selection of the sources cited in the 73 notes to the history, grouped by kind. Each entry opens the source; the note number leads to the full citation.
Statutes and official papers
- Heritable Jurisdictions (Scotland) Act 1746legislation.gov.uk · note 4
- Union with England Act 1707, art. XXlegislation.gov.uk · note 33
- Abolition of Feudal Tenure etc. (Scotland) Act 2000, s. 63legislation.gov.uk · note 62
- Abolition of Feudal Tenure etc. (Scotland) Act 2000, s. 62legislation.gov.uk · note 64
- Explanatory Notes to the Act of 2000, para 197legislation.gov.uk · note 68
- Scottish Law Commission, Report on Abolition of the Feudal Systemscotlawcom.gov.uk · note 63
- Sheriff Court Districts Amendment Order 2013legislation.gov.uk · note 15
- House of Lords (Hereditary Peers) Act 2026legislation.gov.uk · note 79
The Court of the Lord Lyon
- Note on the petition of George David Menking, 30 April 2015courtofthelordlyon.scot · note 66
- Note on the petition of Willi Ernst Sturzenegger of Arrancourtofthelordlyon.scot · note 67
Registers, gazettes and records
- Edinburgh Gazette, notice 5021944, 19 December 2025thegazette.co.uk · note 6
- National Records of Scotland: Cupar Sheriff Court (SC20)catalogue.nrscotland.gov.uk · note 2
- National Records of Scotland: Sheriff court recordsnrscotland.gov.uk · note 20
- Journal of the Law Society of Scotland: “Birth of a register” (2004)lawscot.org.uk · note 65
- Debrett’s, The Feudal Baronies of Scotlanddebretts.com · note 57
- Canmore: Cupar Castle, site 31565canmore.org.uk · note 14
Historical sources
- C. A. Malcolm, The Office of Sheriff in Scotland (thesis, 1922)era.ed.ac.uk · note 1
- Registrum Magni Sigilli Regum Scotorum, iiiarchive.org · note 22
- The Exchequer Rolls of Scotland, iarchive.org · note 8
- Report and Certificate of the Lords of Council and Session (1748)archive.org · note 4
- Roll of the Claims for heritable jurisdictions (1747/48)archive.org · note 36
- Sibbald, History of the Sheriffdoms of Fife and Kinrossarchive.org · note 14
- People of Medieval Scotland: Geoffrey of Inverkunglaspoms.ac.uk · note 11
- Innes of Learney, “The Robes of the Feudal Baronage of Scotland”doi.org · note 69