Lord Lieutenant of Devon

This is a list of people who have served as Lord Lieutenant of Devon. Since 1711, all the Lord Lieutenants have also been Custos Rotulorum of Devon.

This list is incomplete; you can help by expanding it.

• John Russell, 1st Earl of Bedford 1552–1555
• John Bourchier, 2nd Earl of Bath 1556–1561
• Francis Russell, 2nd Earl of Bedford 1584 – 28 July 1585
• William Bourchier, 3rd Earl of Bath 12 September 1586 – 12 July 1623
• Francis Russell, 4th Earl of Bedford 18 July 1623 – 9 May 1641 jointly with
• William Russell, 1st Duke of Bedford 30 March 1637 – 1642
• Interregnum
• George Monck, 1st Duke of Albemarle 23 July 1660 – 3 January 1670
• John Granville, 1st Earl of Bath 10 February 1670 – 1675
• Christopher Monck, 2nd Duke of Albemarle 2 December 1675 – 1685
• John Granville, 1st Earl of Bath 7 December 1685 – 1696 jointly with
• Charles Granville, 2nd Baron Granville 6 May 1691 – 1693
• Thomas Grey, 2nd Earl of Stamford 24 April 1696 – 1702
• John Poulett, 1st Earl Poulett 21 July 1702 – 1714
• Sir William Courtenay, 2nd Baronet 4 December 1714 – 1716
• John Carteret, 2nd Baron Carteret 13 July 1716 – 1721
• Hugh Fortescue, 14th Baron Clinton 9 August 1721 – 1733
• Robert Walpole, 2nd Earl of Orford 9 May 1733 – 31 March 1751
• John Russell, 4th Duke of Bedford 23 April 1751 – 5 January 1771
• Vere Poulett, 3rd Earl Poulett 6 February 1771 – 14 April 1788
• Hugh Fortescue, 1st Earl Fortescue 21 May 1788 – 1839
• Hugh Fortescue, 2nd Earl Fortescue 15 November 1839 – 14 September 1861
• Edward Seymour, 12th Duke of Somerset 9 November 1861 – 28 November 1885
• Stafford Northcote, 1st Earl of Iddesleigh 20 January 1886 – 12 January 1887
• Charles Hepburn-Stuart-Forbes-Trefusis, 20th Baron Clinton 16 February 1887 – 29 March 1904
• Hugh Fortescue, 4th Earl Fortescue 22 April 1904 – 1928
• Francis Bingham Mildmay, 1st Baron Mildmay of Flete 30 June 1928 – 1936
• Hugh Fortescue, 5th Earl Fortescue 5 May 1936 – 14 June 1958
• Massey Lopes, 2nd Baron Roborough 16 July 1958 – 5 October 1978
• Sir Richard Amyatt Hull 5 October 1978 – 10 May 1982
• John St Aubyn Parker, 6th Earl of Morley 10 May 1982 – 16 September 1998
• Eric Dancer 16 September 1998 – present

ERIC DANCER CBE KStJ DUniv CIMgt FCIPS JP FRSA

Eric Dancer was born in Sheffield in 1940. He won a scholarship to King Edward VII School and went on to study at Sheffield Polytechnic where he became a graduate of the Chartered Institute of Management and the Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply and after moving to Devon in 1980 attained the Diploma in Company Direction at Exeter University.

His career has been in industry, with over 30 years at Board level of which the last 20 were as Managing Director of Dartington Crystal, prior to his retirement in 2000.

He was the founding Chairman of Devon and Cornwall Training and Enterprise Council, the TEC National Council, the West Country Development Corporation, served as a National TEC Assessor, Advisor to the Secretary of State for Employment, Member of the National Training Task Force, Member of the Councils of the CBI and Royal Society of Arts and as a Governor of the University of Plymouth.

Appointed CBE in 1991 for outstanding services to business and training.

In 1988 he was appointed Her Majesty’s Lord-Lieutenant of Devon, a Knight of Grace of the Order of St John and Justice of the Peace. In 2001 he received an Honorary Doctorate from Sheffield Hallam University and in 2002 was commissioned Honorary Captain Royal Naval Reserve. Honorary Doctorates of Law and Business were conferred by Exeter and Plymouth Universities respectively in 2010.

He is a Freeman of the City of London, Liveryman of the Worshipful Company of Glass Sellers, Life Member of the Royal Society of Arts, President, Patron or Trustee of some 20 Charities in Devon, Chairman of the Magistrates Advisory Committee for Devon and Cornwall and Devon County President of The Reserve Forces and Cadets.

Eric lives in South Devon with his wife Carole and having given up flying light aeroplanes, gliders and sailing now, in what little free time he has, enjoys music, reading, current affairs and world travel, having visited all 7 continents.

Website: http://www.lordlieutenantofdevon.org.uk/

References

• J.C. Sainty (1970). "Lieutenancies of Counties, 1585–1642". Bulletin of the Institute of Historical Research (Special Supplement No. 8). 
• J.C. Sainty (1979). List of Lieutenants of Counties of England and Wales 1660-1974. London: Swift Printers (Sales) Ltd. 

External links

• http://www.devon.gov.uk/index/your_council/inside/historic/lord_lieutenant/duties.htm