Mary Bayliss


Mary Selina Bayliss was an English magistrate for 32 years, the High Sheriff of Berkshire from 2005 to 2006, and the Lord Lieutenant of Berkshire from 2008 to 2015.
Mary Bayliss was the daughter of Robert Bridgeman, the second Viscount Bridgeman, and his wife, Mary Lane Fox. She was born on 14 January 1940 at Bramham Park in West Yorkshire, which was the home of her mother's family. She was brought up at her parent's home at Minsterley in the county of Shropshire. She married Jeremy Bayliss, a chartered surveyor, in 1962. The couple moved to Sheepbridge Court at Swallowfield in the county of Berkshire, and had three sons.
In 1978, Mary Bayliss was appointed as a magistrate in Reading, the county town of Berkshire. She was appointed High Sheriff of Berkshire in 2005, Deputy Lord Lieutenant of Berkshire in 2007, and Lord Lieutenant in 2008, acting as the Queen's official representative in the county. She retired as Lord Lieutenant in 2015. Following her retirement, she was appointed a Commander of the Royal Victorian Order, and was admitted to the Order of St Frideswide.
Mary Bayliss was involved in various charities in Reading and Berkshire, and was patron of the homeless charity Launchpad and the community support charity Connecting Communities in Berkshire.