# Secretary of State (Kingdom of Scotland)

The Secretary of Scotland or Lord Secretary was a senior post in the government of the Kingdom of Scotland.
The office appeared in the 14th century (or earlier) when it was combined with that of Keeper of the Privy Seal. Called Clericus Regis (although some have applied that to the Lord Clerk Register), he was regarded as an Officer of State. The Secretary was constantly to attend the King's person, receive the petitions and memorials that were presented to him, and write the King's answers upon them. All Letters Patent passed through his hands, and were drawn up by him as with all the King's letters and dispatches, warrants, orders, &c. In the case of lengthy documents a short docket was also subscribed by the Secretary for the King's perusal, as a summary; and as all the writings signed by the King came through his hands, he was answerable for them if they contained anything derogatory to the laws or the dignity of The Crown.
From 1626 until their respective deaths, King Charles I divided the duties between two Secretaries, the Earl of Glencairn and Sir Archibald Achison of Glencairn.
The Secretary did not invariably sit in the Parliament of Scotland after 1603, because his duties normally involved his attendance upon the monarch who was thereafter resident in England. Between 1608 and 1640 there were often two Secretaries, which became normal practice after 1680, although only one could sit in Parliament.
The office was abolished as such in 1709, though from then until 1725 and again from 1742 to 1746 there was a third Secretary of State with particular responsibility for Scottish affairs, for those posts, see Secretary of State for Scotland.

## Secretaries of State

| Secretary | From | To | Monarch |
| Nicholas | | | Malcolm IV |
| Duncan Pecoce | 1380 | | Robert II |
| Andrew de Hawick, Rector of Linton | 1410 | | James I |
| John Stewart, Earl of Buchan | 1418 | | James I |
| John Cameron (later Bishop of Glasgow) | 1424 | | James I |
| William Foulis | 1429 | | James I |
| John Methven | 1432 | | James I |
| John de Ralston, Bishop of Dunkeld | 1442 | 1448 | James II |
| Nicholas Otterburn | 1449 | 1452 | James II |
| George Shoreswood, Chancellor of Dunkeld (later Bishop of Brechin) | 1453 | 1454 | James II |
| Thomas Vaus, Dean of Glasgow | 4 December 1456 | 21 October 1458 | James II |
| John Arous, Archdeacon of Glasgow | 9 November 1458 | 24 July 1459 | James II |
| George Ledale, Parson of Forest | 18 September 1459 | 10 February 1462 | James II / James III |
| Archibald Whitelaw, Archdeacon of Lothian | 27 August 1462 | 1493 | James III / James IV |
| Richard Muirhead, Dean of Glasgow | 4 August 1493 | 4 March 1506 | James IV |
| Patrick Panter, Abbot of Cambuskenneth | 22 November 1506 | 18 November 1519 | James IV / James V |
| Thomas Hay, Parson of Rathven | 1 April 1517 | 1 August 1524 | James V |
| Patrick Hepburn, Prior of St Andrews | 8 March 1525 | 15 June 1526 | James V |
| Sir Thomas Erskine of Haltoun | 5 October 1526 | 10 January 1543 | James V / Mary, Queen of Scots |
| David Paniter, Bishop of Ross | 20 January 1543 | 28 February 1543 | Mary, Queen of Scots |
| Henry Balnaves of Halhill | 28 February 1543 | 4 May 1543 | Mary, Queen of Scots |
| David Paniter, Bishop of Ross | 4 May 1543 | 1558 | Mary, Queen of Scots |
| William Maitland of Lethington | 1558 | 16 May 1571 | Mary, Queen of Scots / James VI |
| Robert Pitcairn, Commendator of Dunfermline Abbey | 28 August 1571 | 1583 | James VI |
| Sir John Maitland of Thirlestane | 1584 | 1591 | James VI |
| Sir Richard Cockburn of Clerkington | 1591 | 1596 | James VI |
| Sir John Lindsay of Balcarres | 1596 | 1598 | James VI |
| James Elphinstone | 1598 | 1609 | James VI |
| Sir Alexander Hay of Whitburgh | 1608 | 1612 | James VI |
| Sir Thomas Hamilton | 1612 | 1626 | James VI / Charles I |
| William Alexander, 1st Earl of Stirling | 1626 | 1640 | Charles I |
| Sir Archibald Acheson of Glencairnie | 1626 | 1634 | Charles I |
| William Hamilton, 2nd Duke of Hamilton | 1641 | 1649 | Charles I |
| Sir Robert Spottiswood of New Abbey | 1644 | 1644 | Charles I |
| William Kerr, 1st Earl of Lothian | 10 March 1649 | | Parliament |
| John Maitland, 2nd Earl of Lauderdale | 19 January 1661 | 1680 (dismissed) | Charles II |
| Charles Middleton, 2nd Earl of Middleton | 26 September 1682 | 1684 | Charles II |
| Alexander Stewart, 5th Earl of Moray | 11 October 1680 | 1688 | Charles II |
| John Drummond, 1st Earl of Melfort | 15 September 1684 | 1689 | Charles II / James VII / William II and Mary II |
| George Melville, 1st Earl of Melville | 13 May 1689 | 1691 | William II and Mary II |
| John Dalrymple, Master of Stair | 1 January 1691 | 1695 | William II and Mary II (later, only William II) |
| James Johnston | 3 March 1692 | 1696 | William II and Mary II (later, only William II) |
| John Murray, Earl of Tullibardine | 15 January 1696 | 31 March 1698 | William II |
| James Ogilvy, 1st Earl of Seafield | 5 February 1696 | 21 November 1702 | William II / Anne |
| John Carmichael, 1st Earl of Hyndford | 31 January 1699 | 6 May 1702 | William II / Anne |
| James Douglas, 2nd Duke of Queensberry | 6 May 1702 | 16 October 1704 | Anne |
| George Mackenzie, 1st Viscount Tarbat | 21 November 1702 | 17 October 1704 | Anne |
| John Ker, 5th Earl of Roxburghe | 16 October 1704 | 5 June 1705 | Anne |
| James Ogilvy, 1st Earl of Seafield | 17 October 1704 | March 1705 | Anne |
| William Johnstone, 1st Marquess of Annandale | 10 March 1705 | September 1705 | Anne |
| Hugh Campbell, 3rd Earl of Loudoun | 5 June 1705 | 1 May 1707 (and then Secretary of State for Scotland to 25 May 1708) | Anne |
| John Erskine, 6th Earl of Mar | 19 September 1705 | 1 May 1707 (and then Secretary of State for Scotland to February 1709) | Anne |
For the equivalent position after the 1707 Treaty see Secretary of State for Scotland