Treasurer-depute

The Treasurer-depute was 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-depute

This list is incomplete; you can help by adding missing items. (October 2012)

1547 James Forrester
1584: Sir Robert Melville
1604–1610: Sir John Arnot
1610–1621: Gideon Murray
1622–1631: Archibald Napier, 1st Lord Napier
1631–?: John Stewart, 1st Earl of Traquair
1636-1649: Sir James Carmichael
1661–1671: William Bellenden, 1st Lord Bellenden
1671–1682?: Charles Maitland, Lord Haltoun
1682–1684: John Drummond
1684–1686?: John Keith, 1st Earl of Kintore
1687–1689: Richard Maitland, Viscount Maitland
1690–1698: Alexander Melville, Lord Raith
1699–1703: Adam Cockburn of Ormiston, Lord Ormiston
1703: David Boyle, 1st Earl of Glasgow

Great Officers of State of England and Scotland

Great Officers of State
of England

Lord High Steward	Vacant
Lord High Chancellor	Shabana Mahmood MP (as Secretary of State for Justice)
Lord High Treasurer	Vacant
Lord President of the Council	Lucy Powell MP (also Leader of the House of Commons)
Lord Privy Seal	Angela Smith, Baroness Smith of Basildon (also Leader of the House of Lords)
Lord Great Chamberlain	In gross: Rupert Carington, 7th Baron Carrington
Lord High Constable	Vacant
Earl Marshal	Edward Fitzalan-Howard, 18th Duke of Norfolk
Lord High Admiral	Charles III (in right of the Crown)¹

Officers of State
of Scotland

Greater

Lord High Chancellor	Abolished in 1707 (see Lord High Chancellor of Great Britain)
Lord High Treasurer	Abolished in 1707 (see Lord High Treasurer of Great Britain)
Lord Privy Seal	Vacant since 1921
Lord Secretary	Abolished in 1709

Lesser

Lord Clerk Register	Lady Elish Angiolini
Lord Advocate	Dorothy Bain
Lord Treasurer-depute	Abolished in 1707
Lord Justice Clerk	Leeona Dorrian, Lady Dorrian

Officers of the Crown
of Scotland

Lord President of the Council	Privy Council abolished in 1708
Lord High Chamberlain	Resigned to the Crown in 1703
Lord High Steward	William, Duke of Rothesay (as Prince and Great Steward of Scotland)
Lord High Constable	Merlin Hay, 24th Earl of Erroll
Knight Marischal	Vacant since 1863
Earl Marischal	Forfeit in 1716
Lord High Admiral²	Abolished in 1707
Keeper of the Great Seal of Scotland²	John Swinney MSP (as First Minister of Scotland)

¹ Office is either vested in the Crown, or vacant. Status is currently debated.
² There is debate around whether these offices constitute Officers of the Crown.