The High Bailiff (Manx: Ard-Vaylee) is a legal position held within the Isle of Man. The High Bailiff is the head stipendiary magistrate.
The current High Bailiff is His Worship John Needham, who took office on 30 January 2010 on the retirement of Mr Michael Moyle. Mr Needham was previously Clerk to the Justices. The current Deputy High Bailiff is Her Worship Jayne Hughes.
The High Bailiff and his deputy are appointed by the Lieutenant Governor. The High Bailiff and Deputy High Bailiff are ex officio Judicial Officers of the High Court of Justice of the Isle of Man and Coroners of Inquests.
Originally there was a High Bailiff of each of the four towns of the Island, Castletown, Ramsey, Peel and Douglas. In 1911 the offices of High Bailiff of Castletown and Douglas, and the offices of High Bailiff of Peel and Ramsey, were merged. Those offices were merged in turn in 1933 to form a single office of High Bailiff of the Isle of Man.
William Callow, 1777-?
Robert Kelly, 1811-?
John Kelly, 1832–1854
James Gell, 1854–1866
John Moore Jeffcott, 1866–1892
James Stowell Gell, 1892–1911
John Cosnahan, 1777–1808
Norris Moore, 1808–1816
John McHutchin, 1816–1819
James Quirk, 1820–1841
John Courtney Bluett, ?-1855
Senhouse Wilson, 1855–1864
Samuel Harris, 1864–1905
James Stowell Gell, 1905–1911
Robert Farrant, 1777–1794
Captain George Savage, 1794–1802
Thomas Clark, 1802–1807
Hugh Clucas, 1808–1817
James Quirk, 1817–1820
John Llewellyn, 1820–1840
Richard Harrison, 1840–1853
Robert John Moore, 1853–1884
A.N. Laughton, 1884–1911
John Frissell Crellin, 1777–1794
James Wilks, 1794–1805
Thomas Gawne, 1805–1812
Ewan Gill, 1812–1821
Thomas Arthur Corlett, 1821–1828
John Caesar Gelling, 1828–1832
Frederick Tellett, 1832–1873
Sir Alured Dumbell, 1873–1880
John Corlet LaMothe, 1880–1898
James Murray Cruikshank, 1898–1911
High Bailiffs of Douglas and Castletown
James Stowell Gell, 1911–1918
Reginald Douglas Farrant, 1919–1925
William Lay, 1925–1933
High Bailiffs of Ramsey and Peel
James Murray Cruikshank, 1911–1916
F. M. LaMothe, 1916–1921
William Lay, 1921–1925
William Percy Cowley, 1925–1933
William Lay, 1933-1937
Henry Percy Kelly, 1937-1938
Ramsey Gelling Johnson, 1938-1947
Howard Deighton Lay, 1947-1961
Robert Kinley Eason, 1961-1969
Henry Callow, 1969–1988
Weldon Williams, 1988–1995
Andrew Williamson, 1995–2002
Michael Moyle, 2002–2010
John Needham, 2010–Present
unknown, 1933–1977
Weldon Williams, 1977–1988
Andrew Williamson, 1988–1995
Michael Moyle, 1995–2002
Alastair Montgomerie, 2002-2011
Jayne Hughes, 2011–Present
