The appointment lay with the Lord Chancellor until 1545, but is now exercised by the Crown, under the Royal sign-manual, and is usually held by a person of rank.
William Lambarde (1536–1601) described the custos rotulorum as a man chosen for his wisdom, countenance or credit.
In 1922 the creation of the Irish Free State resulted in the abolition of the by-then largely honorific posts, but Lord Lieutenancies are still retained in Northern Ireland.
It can be traced back to fourteenth-century England when in 1391 King Richard II issued the Grand Commission appointing Custodes and Justices of the Peace to assist in maintaining law and order in the counties.
In Jamaica, the first mention of the office appears in Legislative Council Minutes of 28 July 1668 in an ordinance dealing with the 'Orderly Proceedings of the Courts' within the island.