The High Sheriff’s Visit: Tracing a Saxon Office’s Enduring Service from Sxaon England, via 1681, to Today

On Monday, May 26th, 2025, Jane Trowbridge JP, Shropshire’s 2025-6 High Sheriff, undertook a visit to Soulton Hall.

Ms Trowbridge’s life story is one of varied experiences and dedicated service. Born in India, she spent her childhood moving between England and the Far East before returning permanently to the UK in 1975 to study law at Exeter University. Her legal career saw her specialize in International tax law at the London firm Allen & Overy, and later become a Director of the Trust Company at N.M.R Rothschilds and Sons Ltd. After marrying Stephen in 1985, she relocated to the Channel Islands and later to Liverpool due to his career.

For over 25 years, Jane has called Shropshire home.

The enduring presence of the High Sheriff, and the historical continuity represented by places like Soulton Hall, serve as a reminder that challenges, however daunting, can be overcome through concerted effort and a commitment to future generations.

Ms Trowbridge’s commitment to her community is a cornerstone of her role.

She firmly believes in giving back, a principle she has upheld throughout her life. Since 2012, she has served as a magistrate in both criminal and family courts. Jane has also actively helped raise money for numerous charitable causes, notably supporting the excellent orthopaedic hospital in Gobowen.

For her Shrieval year, Jane’s primary charitable focus is supporting the many organizations and charities that assist young people, embodying her belief that:

The youth of today are Shropshire’s tomorrow.

********

This visit, which took place just ahead of Oak Apple Day, was a recognition of the historical links between the office of High Sheriff and this remarkable house, a place where history has unfolded in dramatic fashion on more than one occasion.

The most notable historical connections lies in the fact that Soulton Hall was the home of Thomas Hill, who served as High Sheriff of Shropshire in 1681 having gown up seeing the chaos of the mid 1600s, which is reflected upon on the door case he installed which celebrates the recovery of harmony after national tumult as you can read here.

His portrait is currently not at Soulton, but his wife’s is and it is shown below.

His monument in Wem has been lost but was recorded and said:

MORTALIA THOME HILL DE SOULTON ARNIGERI, in vir JUSTUS PRUDENS, QUA QUAVERSUM SPECTATISSIMUS, JUSTITIARIUS PERSTICAS REGINE FIDISIMUS, AMICUS SINCERUS, LICINUS BONUS, MARITUS AMANTISSIMUS, & PATER BLANDUS,QUI HAC LUCE RECESSIT UNDECIMO DIE APRILIS ANNO DOM Araus Anno 68

The Mortal Remains of Thomas Hill of Soulton, Esquire, a Man who was: Just, Prudent, Most distinguished in every way, Most faithful Justice of the Sovereign, Sincere Friend, Good Citizen, Most loving Husband, & Tender Father, Who departed from this light… at the age of 68 years.

It was a powerful reminder of how individual lives and civic offices and the examples set by and within these, have shaped the landscape and the legal framework of Shropshire for generations.

Moreover, Sir Rowland Hill, a preeminent statesman of Tudor England, was also connected to Soulton as he built the current hall. He served as Lord Mayor of London which is an ex officio judicial officer.  He also played a crucial role in the jurisprudence of his time, and was notably involved in the settlement of the Geneva Bible.

His important library, which is understood to have held a copy of Magna Carta (he is always memorialized hooding a copy of this critical document), was, we understand, evacuated from Soulton Hall during the Battle of Wem in 1643.

Soulton features an ancient courtroom, which once played a role in an attempt to demand a witch trial from Thomas Hill made by the townspeople of Wem – a charge that was (happily) thrown out by him.

The office of High Sheriff, held for 2025-6 by Ms Trowbridge, continues a lineage that stretches back to Anglo-Saxon times, when Soulton was a manor of Beorhtric, the last Saxon Earl of Mercia’s brother.

The office of High Sheriff is the oldest secular office under the Crown, predating the Norman Conquest. In Saxon England, the “shire reeve” was the King’s representative in the shire, responsible for maintaining law and order, collecting taxes, and leading the local militia. Over the centuries, while many of its practical duties have been taken over by other bodies, the office of High Sheriff has retained its ceremonial importance, acting as a link between the Crown and the judiciary, and upholding civic pride and community engagement.

This visit to Soulton Hall carried an additional layer of historical resonance due to its proximity to Oak Apple Day (May 29th). This traditional celebration commemorates the restoration of the monarchy in 1660, specifically King Charles II’s escape after the Battle of Worcester by hiding in an oak tree.

In a revival of an old custom, the doorcase at Soulton Hall was decorated with oak boughs ahead of the visit, tying into this theme of restoration.

Intriguingly, the concept of “restoration” in 2025 provides a helpful framework for considering contemporary challenges, particularly climate change: just as the monarchy was restored after a period of upheaval, there’s a growing global imperative to restore our planet to a more sustainable state.

The visit of the High Sheriff to Soulton Hall was a living bridge between the past and the present, a celebration of history, and a thoughtful reflection on the ongoing work of restoration – both societal and environmental.