Treasurer of Scotland
The Treasurer was a senior post in the pre-Union government of Scotland, the Privy Council of Scotland.
The full title of the post was Lord High Treasurer, Comptroller, Collector-General and Treasurer of the New Augmentation, formed as it was from the amalgamation of four earlier offices. Of these, the Treasurer and Comptroller had originated in 1425 when the Chamberlain's financial functions were transferred to them.[1] From 1466 the Comptroller had sole responsibility for financing the royal household to which certain revenues (the property) were appropriated, with the Treasurer being responsible for the remaining revenue (the casualty) and other expenditure. The Collector-General, created in 1562, handled the Crown's revenue from the thirds of benefices, and the Treasurer of the New Augmentation was responsible for the former church lands annexed to the Crown in 1587.
All four offices were held by the same person from 1610 onwards, but their separate titles survived the effective merging of their functions in 1635. From 1667 to 1682 the Treasury was in commission, and again from 1686 to 1708, when the separate Scottish Treasury was abolished. From 1690 the Crown nominated one person to sit in Parliament as Treasurer.
The Treasurer-depute was also a senior post in the pre-Union government of Scotland. It was the equivalent of the English post of Chancellor of the Exchequer.
Originally a deputy to the Treasurer, the Treasurer-depute emerged as a separate Crown appointment by 1614. Its holder attended the Privy Council in the absence of the Treasurer, but gained independent membership of the Council in 1587 and sat in the Parliament of Scotland as a Great Officer of State in 1593 and from 1617 onwards.
List of Treasurers
The following have been identified as Treasurers of Scotland.[2]
| 1420 | Sir Walter Ogilvie of Lintrethan |
| Thomas de Myrton, Dean of Glasgow Cathedral | |
| 1430 | Patrick de Ogilvie |
| 1433 | Walter Stewart, Dean of Moray |
| 1439 | Sir Walter de Haliburton, Knt. |
| Robert Livingston, son of Sir Alexander Livingston of Callendar, Governor of the Kingdom | |
| 1440 | Walter de Haliburton, 1st Lord Haliburton of Dirleton |
| 1449 | Andrew Hunter, Abbot of Melrose |
| 1455 | James Stewart, Dean of Moray |
| 1466 | Sir William Knowlys, Preceptor of Torphichen Preceptory |
| 1473 | John Laing, parson of Kenland |
| 1480 | Archibald Crawford, Abbot of Holyrood |
| Sir John Ramsay of Balmaine | |
| 1490 | Henry Arnot, Abbot of Cambuskenneth |
| 1499 | Sir Robert Lundie of Balgony |
| 1507 | Sir David Beaton of Creich |
| 1509 | George Hepburn, Abbot of Arbroath, later Bishop of the Isles |
| Andrew Stewart, Bishop of Caithness | |
| 1512 | Cuthbert Baillie, Commendator of Glenluce |
| 1515 | James Hepburn, Bishop of Moray |
| 1516 | Sir Walter Ogilvie of Strathearn |
| 1517 | John Campbell of Lundy |
| 1520 | Archibald Douglas of Kilspindie |
| 1526 | William Cunningham, 4th Earl of Glencairn |
| 1528 | Robert Cairncross, Abbot of Holyrood, later Bishop of Ross |
| 1529 | Sir Robert Barton of Over Barnton |
| 1530 | William Stewart, Bishop of Aberdeen |
| 1537 | Robert Cairncross, Abbot of Holyrood |
| 1538 | Sir James Kirkcaldy of Grange (Hallyards, Fife) |
| 1546 | John Hamilton, brother of Regent, Abbot of Paisley, later Bishop of St Andrews |
| 1555 | Gilbert Kennedy, 3rd Earl of Cassilis |
| 1561 | Robert Richardson, Commendator of St Mary Isle |
| 1564 | William Stewart, Provost of Lincluden |
| 1571 | William Ruthven, 1st Earl of Gowrie |
| 1584 | John Graham, 3rd Earl of Montrose[3] |
| 1585 | Sir Thomas Lyon of Auldbar and Baldukie, Master of Glamis |
| 1595 | Walter Stewart, 1st Lord Blantyre |
| 1599 | Alexander Elphinstone, 4th Lord Elphinstone |
| 1601 | Sir George Hume, 1st Earl of Dunbar, first holder of the four combined treasury offices.[4] |
| 1611 | Sir Robert Carr, Earl of Somerset |
| 1616 | John Erskine, 2nd Earl of Mar |
| 3 April 1630 | William Douglas, 7th Earl of Morton |
| 21 May 1636 | John Stewart, 1st Earl of Traquair |
| 17 November 1641 | in commission |
| John Campbell, 1st Earl of Loudoun, Lord Chancellor | |
| Archibald Campbell, 1st Marquess of Argyll | |
| William Cunningham, 9th Earl of Glencairn | |
| John Lindsay, 1st Earl of Lindsay | |
| Sir James Carmichael | |
| 23 July 1644 | John Lindsay, Earl of Crawford and Lindsay, dismissed 13 February 1649 |
| 1660 | in commission |
| John Lindsay, Earl of Crawford and Lindsay | |
| John Leslie, 7th Earl of Rothes | |
| 19 January 1661 | John Lindsay reappointed |
| 4 June 1663 | John Leslie, 7th Earl of Rothes - appointed Chancellor 16 April 1667 |
| 20 June 1667 | in commission |
| John Leslie, 7th Earl of Rothes, Lord Chancellor | |
| John, Earl of Lauderdale | |
| John Hay, 2nd Earl of Tweeddale | |
| Alexander Bruce, 2nd Earl of Kincardine | |
| John, Lord Cochrane (eldest son of Earl of Dundonald) | |
| Sir Robert Murray, Lord Justice Clerk | |
| 1674 | in commission |
| John Leslie, 7th Earl of Rothes, Lord Chancellor | |
| John, Earl of Lauderdale | |
| John, Earl of Dundonald | |
| Colin, Earl of Balcarres | |
| Hon Charles Maitland, Deputy Treasurer and Master of the Mint | |
| 1 May 1682 | William Douglas, Marquess of Queensberry, later Duke |
| 24 February 1686 | in commission |
| William Douglas, Duke of Queensberry, | |
| James, Earl of Perth, Lord Chancellor | |
| William, Duke of Hamilton | |
| John, Earl of Kintore, Treasurer Depute | |
| George, Viscount Tarbat, Lord Clerk Register | |
| Hon William Drummond, after Viscount Strathallan | |
| 1687 | in commission |
| James, Earl of Perth, Lord Chancellor | |
| John, Marquess of Atholl, Lord Privy Seal | |
| William, Duke of Hamilton | |
| George, Duke of Gordon | |
| John, Earl of Tweeddale | |
| Colin, Earl of Balcarres | |
| George, Viscount Tarbat | |
| Hon William Drummond, after Viscount Strathallan | |
| Richard, Viscount Maitland, eldest son to the Earl of Lauderdale, Treasurer Depute. | |
| 1689 | in commission |
| William, Earl of Crawford | |
| John, Earl of Cassilis | |
| John, Earl of Tweeddale | |
| David, Lord Ruthven | |
| Hon Alexander Melville,[n 1] eldest son to Lord Melville | |
| 1692 | in commission |
| John, Earl of Tweeddale, Chancellor | |
| James, Earl of Drumlanrig,[n 1] eldest son to the Duke of Queensberry | |
| John, Earl of Cassilis | |
| George, Earl of Linlithgow | |
| John, Earl of Breadalbane | |
| Alexander, Lord Raith, eldest son of the Earl of Melville, treasurer-depute | |
| 1695 | in commission |
| John, Marquess of Tweeddale, Chancellor | |
| James, Earl of Drumlanrig, eldest son to the Duke of Queensberry | |
| John, Earl of Cassilis | |
| George, Earl of Linlithgow | |
| John, Earl of Breadalbane | |
| John, Lord Yester,[n 1] eldest son of the Marquess of Tweeddale | |
| 30 January 1696 | in commission |
| John, Marquess of Tweeddale, Chancellor | |
| James, Duke of Queensberry | |
| Archibald, Earl of Argyll | |
| William, Earl of Annandale | |
| Alexander, Lord Raith, treasurer-depute | |
| Sir John Maxwell, of Pollock, bart.[n 1] | |
| 24 May 1696 | in commission |
| Patrick, Lord Polwarth, Lord Chancellor James, Duke of Queensberry Archibald, Earl of Argyll William, Earl of Annandale Hon. Alexander Hume, treasurer-depute Sir John Maxwell, of Pollock, bart.[n 1] | |
| 1698 | in commission |
| Patrick, Earl of Marchmont, Lord Chancellor James, Duke of Queensberry Archibald, Earl of Argyll William, Earl of Annandale Adam Cockburn of Ormiston, treasurer-depute Sir John Maxwell, of Pollock, bart.[n 1] | |
| 1702 | in commission |
| James, Earl of Seafield, Lord Chancellor James, Duke of Queensberry Archibald, Earl of Argyll William, Earl of Annandale Alexander, Earl of Eglinton Hugh, Earl of Loudoun David, Lord Boyle, treasurer-depute David, Lord Elcho[n 1] | |
| 1703 | in commission |
| James, Earl of Seafield, Lord Chancellor James, Duke of Queensberry Archibald, Duke of Argyll William, Marquess of Annandale Aleaxnder, Earl of Eglinton Hugh, Earl of Loudoun David, Lord Boyle Hon. Francis Montgomery[n 1] | |
| 1704 | in commission |
| John, Marquess of Tweeddale, Lord Chancellor William, Marquess of Annandale Hugh, Earl of Loudoun Charles, Earl of Selkirk John, Lord Belhaven George Baillie, treasurer-depute Hon. Francis Montgomery[n 1] Sir John Hume, baronet | |
| 1705 | in commission |
| James, Earl of Seafield, Lord Chancellor James, Duke of Queensberry James, Duke of Montrose James, Earl of Galloway David, Earl of Northesk Archibald, Earl of Forfar David, Earl of Glasgow, treasurer-depute Lord Archibald Campbell[n 1] William, Lord Ross Hon. Francis Montgomery | |
| 1706 | in commission |
| James, Earl of Seafield, Lord Chancellor James, Duke of Montrose James, Duke of Queensberry David, Earl of Northesk Archibald, Earl of Forfar David, Earl of Glasgow, treasurer-depute William, Lord Ross Francis Montgomery[n 1] | |
| 1707 | in commission |
| James, Earl of Seafield, Lord Chancellor James, Duke of Montrose, president of the privy council James, Duke of Queensberry, keeper of the privy seal David, Earl of Glasgow, treasurer-depute William, Lord Ross Hon. Francis Montgomery[n 1] | |
Accounts of the Lord High Treasurer
The final audited accounts of the Lord High Treasurer were public records of Scotland. These survive as an almost complete record from 1473 to 1635 at General Register House in Edinburgh. The manuscripts were published between 1877 and 1978 in thirteen volumes covering up to 1580.
- Accounts of the Lord High Treasurer of Scotland, 1473–1498, HM General Register House, (1877)
- Accounts of the Lord High Treasurer of Scotland, 1506-1507, HM Register House, vol. 3 (1901)
- Accounts of the Lord High Treasurer of Scotland, 1541-1546, HM Register House, vol. 8, (1908)
- Accounts of the Treasurer of Scotland, 1566–1574, vol. 12, Scottish Record Office, (1970)
- Accounts of the Treasurer of Scotland, 1574–1580, vol. 13, Scottish Record Office, (1978)
External links
Notes
- ↑ Accounts of the Lord High Treasurer, vol. 1, (1877), xiv.
- ↑ Haydn's Book of Dignities, 1851, pages 402-3.
- ↑ The Complete Peerage. London: The St. Catherine Press. 1936. pp. 9:148.
- ↑ Accounts of the Lord High Treasurer, Vol. 1, (1877), xxvii n.6