James Macnamara

Current High Sheriff (2024 - 2025)

James Macnamara is the younger son of Carroll Macnamara, a former High Sheriff of Greater London, in whose footsteps he followed to Oxford’s New College, after which he served with the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards (Carabiniers and Greys) in Germany and Northern Ireland before joining the Royal Yeomanry, in which he commanded the Kent & Sharpshooters Yeomanry, Westminster Dragoons and Berkshire Yeomanry squadrons before retiring in the rank of major.

A chartered accountant by profession, after qualifying with Price Waterhouse, he became finance director of a number of service industry companies. He served as Master of the Worshipful Company of Chartered Accountants in 2011 as well as being a trustee of many charities in the fields of housing, ex-service welfare, medicine and education, including Queen Mary’s Roehampton Trust, Servite Housing, The Royal Armoured Corps Memorial Trust and Defence Medical Welfare Services.

Having moved to Oxfordshire thirty years ago, he has served as County Commander of St John Ambulance and, in the county, is a trustee of the Orders of St John Care Trust and the Dr Radcliffe’s School Foundation, was for many years a parish and district councillor while, as a magistrate serving in both crime and family jurisdictions, he is just coming to the end of three years as Bench Chairman. He has also served as a church warden, on his PCC, the Deanery and Diocesan Synods and Bishop’s Council.

Married firstly to Baroness Marcelle von Schoenberg, a consultant head and neck surgeon, with whom he had two children, after being widowed he married Victoria, daughter of Roger Goodenough, High Sheriff in 1987/88.