Lord Lieutenant of Dorset


The Office of the Lord Lieutenant was created during the reign of Henry VIII, taking over the military duties of the Sheriff of Dorset 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 Forces Act of 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.

Appointment and Current Duties

Lord Lieutenants are appointed by The Queen 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 Dorset Lieutenancy covers the County of Dorset and the Boroughs of Poole and Bournemouth. The following is a list of people who have served as Lord Lieutenant of Dorset. Since 1680, all the Lord Lieutenants have also been Custos Rotulorum of Dorset.