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. 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.

List of Treasurers

*1420: Sir Walter Ogilvie of Lintrethan
*....: Thomas de Myrton, Dean of Glasgow Cathedral
*1430: Patrick de Ogilvie
*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 Stuart, 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 Lundin 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
*1528: Robert Cairncross, Abbot of Holyrood, later Bishop of Ross
*1529: Sir Robert Barton of Over Barton
*1530: William Stewart, Bishop of Aberdeen
*1537: Robert Cairncross, Abbot of Holyrood
*1546: John Hamilton, brother of Regent, Abbot of Paisley, later Bishop of St Andrews
*1548: Sir James Kirkaldie of Grange
*1555: Gilbert Kennedy, 3rd Earl of Cassilis
*1561: Robert Richardson, Commendator of St Mary Isle
*1564: William Stewart, Provost of Lincluden
*1572: William Ruthven, 1st Earl of Gowrie
*1584: John Graham, 3rd Earl of Montroseref|Montrose
*1585: Sir Thomas Lyon of Auldbar, Master of Glamis
*1595: Walter Stewart, 1st Lord Blantyre
*1599: Alexander Elphinstone, 4th Lord Elphinstone
*1601: Sir George Hume, 1st Earl of Dunbar
*1611: Sir Robert Carr, Earl of Somerset
*1616: John Erskine, 2nd Earl of Mar
* 3 Apr 1630: William Douglas, 7th Earl of Morton
*21 May 1636: John Stewart, 1st Earl of Traquair
*17 Nov 1641: "in commission":John Campbell, 1st Earl of Loudoun, Lord Chancellor:Archibald Campbell, 1st Marquess of Argyll:William Cunningham, 8th Earl of Glencairn:John Lindsay, 1st Earl of Lindsay:Sir James Carmichael
*23 Jul 1644: John Lindsay, Earl of Crawford and Lindsay, dismissed 13 Feb 1649
*1660: "in commission": John Lindsay, Earl of Crawford and Lindsay: John Leslie, 7th Earl of Rothes
*19 Jan 1661: John Lindsay reappointed
* 4 Jun 1663: John Leslie, 7th Earl of Rothes - appt Chancellor 16 Apt 1667
*20 Jun 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

"incomplete"

* 1 May 1682: William Douglas, Marquess of Queensberry, later Duke
*24 Feb 1686: "in commission"

Notes

# cite book | title=The Complete Peerage | publisher=The St. Catherine Press. 1936 | location=London | pages=9:148