Treasurer of Scotland

The Treasurer was a senior post in the pre-Union government of Scotland, the Privy Council of Scotland.

Lord Treasurer

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.[2] 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.[3]

From 1581 Queen Elizabeth sent James VI an annual sum of money.[4] In February 1599 the Privy Council declared that the Treasurer would administer this English subsidy, spending it on clothes for the royal family and the household of Prince Henry.[5] In previous years the goldsmith Thomas Foulis and cloth merchant Robert Jousie accounted this money.[6]

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.[7]

1420 Sir Walter Ogilvie of Lintrethan
Thomas de Myrton, Dean of Glasgow Cathedral
1430 Patrick de Ogilvie
1433 Walter Stewart, Dean of Moray
1437 Sir Walter de Haliburton, Knt.[8]
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 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 (26 June 1526 – 29 October 1526)
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[9]
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.[10]
1611 Sir Robert Carr, Earl of Somerset
1616 John Erskine, 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, Bt.[n 1]
24 May 1696in 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, Bt.[n 1]
1698in 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, Bt.[n 1]
1702in 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]
1703in commission
James, Earl of Seafield, Lord Chancellor
James, Duke of Queensberry
Archibald, Duke of Argyll
William, Marquess of Annandale
Alexander, Earl of Eglinton
Hugh, Earl of Loudoun
David, Lord Boyle
Hon. Francis Montgomerie[n 1]
1704in 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 Montgomerie[n 1]
Sir John Hume, baronet
1705in 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 Montgomerie
1706in 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
Hon. Francis Montgomerie[n 1]
1707in 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 Montgomerie[n 1]

Accounts of the Lord High Treasurer

Entry in a duplicate treasurer's account for clothes made for four pages and an African servant of Anne of Denmark, known as the "Moir" in October 1590, National Records of Scotland.[11]

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. Even the early accounts were written on paper rather than vellum. The Scots language was preferred over Latin for the expenditure or "discharge" side. The income, of rents and feudal duties, especially the fees on property transactions known as "compositions", was written in Latin. The record of expenses varies considerably over the reigns. For example, as Regent, Mary of Guise paid for her stable, costume, and wardrobe separately and these expenses do not occur in her treasurer's accounts.[12]

There are also surviving duplicate volumes for the years 1574 to 1596. These volumes were kept for many years by the family of the Earl of Leven and Melville, and were deposited in the National Archives of Scotland in 1944. Their exact purpose in royal accounting remains unclear. The layout of these duplicate accounts and the wording of the entries is not an exact replica of the main series.[13]

The manuscripts were published between 1877 and 1978 in thirteen volumes covering up to 1580. The editors silently abbreviated and omitted some material, especially details of making costume.[14][15]

Historians often refer to the published volumes in references as TA:

Notes

  1. Commissioner nominated to sit as Treasurer in Parliament.

References

  1. Accounts of the Lord High Treasurer, vol. 1, (1877), xiv.
  2. Thomas Thomson, Discours Particulier D'Escosse (Edinburgh, Bannatyne Club, 1824), pp. 3–6.
  3. James Kirk, Books of Assumption of Thirds of Benefices (Oxford, 1995), pp. xiv-xxx.
  4. John Duncan Mackie, Calendar of State Papers Scotland, vol. 13, pt. 1 (Edinburgh, 1969), pp. 202-3.
  5. David Masson, Register of the Privy Council of Scotland, vol. 5 (Edinburgh, 1882), p. 521.
  6. Miles Kerr-Peterson & Michael Pearce, 'James VI's English Subsidy and Danish Dowry Accounts', Scottish History Society Miscellany XVI (Woodbridge, 2020), pp. 1-94.
  7. Haydn's Book of Dignities, 1851, pages 402-3.
  8. Genealogical Memoirs of the Family of Sir Walter Scott, Bt., with a reprint of the memorials of the Haliburtons by Charles Rogers, London, 1877, Haliburtons: p.15-16.
  9. The Complete Peerage. London: The St. Catherine Press. 1936. pp. 9:148.
  10. Accounts of the Lord High Treasurer, Vol. 1, (1877), xxvii n.6
  11. This transaction was printed, in Papers relative to the marriage of King James the Sixth of Scotland, with the Princess Anna of Denmark (Edinburgh, 1828), p.21
  12. Charles Thorpe McInnes & Athol Murray, Accounts of the Treasurer, vol. 12 (Edinburgh, 1970), pp. xix, xxxi.
  13. Charles Thorpe McInnes & Athol Murray, Accounts of the Treasurer, vol. 12 (Edinburgh, 1970), pp. ix, x.
  14. Melanie Schuessler Bond, Dressing the Scottish Court, 1543-1553 (Boydell, 2019), p. 2.
  15. Michael Pearce, 'Review: Dressing the Scottish Court, 1543-1553', Innes Review, 71:1 (Edinburgh, 2020), pp. 120-2
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