Lord High Commissioner to the Parliament of Scotland
Encyclopedia
The Lord High Commissioners to the Parliament of Scotland, sometimes referred to as the fifth estate of the Estates of Scotland, were the Scottish Sovereign's personal representative
to the Parliament of Scotland
following James VI of Scotland
's accession to the throne of England
and his becoming, in personal union
, James I, the first Stuart king of England (see Union of the Crowns
).
The Lord High Commissioners were appointed from 1603 until 1707. The Act of Union 1707, which merged the Parliament of Scotland
and the Parliament of England
to create the Parliament of Great Britain
, rendered the post redundant.
They were effectively the heads of government in Scotland during this period, exercising de facto control over the Estates and the Privy Council
, although nominally this role was still held by the Lord Chancellor
.
High Commissioner
High Commissioner is the title of various high-ranking, special executive positions held by a commission of appointment.The English term is also used to render various equivalent titles in other languages.-Bilateral diplomacy:...
to the Parliament of Scotland
Parliament of Scotland
The Parliament of Scotland, officially the Estates of Parliament, was the legislature of the Kingdom of Scotland. The unicameral parliament of Scotland is first found on record during the early 13th century, with the first meeting for which a primary source survives at...
following James VI of Scotland
James I of England
James VI and I was King of Scots as James VI from 24 July 1567 and King of England and Ireland as James I from the union of the English and Scottish crowns on 24 March 1603...
's accession to the throne of England
Throne of England
The Throne of England is the English term used to identify the throne of the King of England. The term can refer to very specific seating, as in King Edward's Chair, which has been used in the coronations of British kings for eight centuries...
and his becoming, in personal union
Personal union
A personal union is the combination by which two or more different states have the same monarch while their boundaries, their laws and their interests remain distinct. It should not be confused with a federation which is internationally considered a single state...
, James I, the first Stuart king of England (see Union of the Crowns
Union of the Crowns
The Union of the Crowns was the accession of James VI, King of Scots, to the throne of England, and the consequential unification of Scotland and England under one monarch. The Union of Crowns followed the death of James' unmarried and childless first cousin twice removed, Queen Elizabeth I of...
).
The Lord High Commissioners were appointed from 1603 until 1707. The Act of Union 1707, which merged the Parliament of Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
and the Parliament of England
Parliament of England
The Parliament of England was the legislature of the Kingdom of England. In 1066, William of Normandy introduced a feudal system, by which he sought the advice of a council of tenants-in-chief and ecclesiastics before making laws...
to create the Parliament of Great Britain
Parliament of Great Britain
The Parliament of Great Britain was formed in 1707 following the ratification of the Acts of Union by both the Parliament of England and Parliament of Scotland...
, rendered the post redundant.
They were effectively the heads of government in Scotland during this period, exercising de facto control over the Estates and the Privy Council
Privy Council of Scotland
The Privy Council of Scotland was a body that advised the King.In the range of its functions the council was often more important than the Estates in the running the country. Its registers include a wide range of material on the political, administrative, economic and social affairs of Scotland...
, although nominally this role was still held by the Lord Chancellor
Lord Chancellor of Scotland
The Lord Chancellor of Scotland was a Great Officer of State in pre-Union Scotland.Holders of the office are known from 1123 onwards, but its duties were occasionally performed by an official of lower status with the title of Keeper of the Great Seal...
.
List of Lord High Commissioners
- 1605: John Graham, 3rd Earl of MontroseJohn Graham, 3rd Earl of MontroseJohn Graham, 3rd Earl of Montrose was a Scottish peer and Chancellor of the University of St Andrews from 1599 to 1604. He was Lord High Commissioner to the Parliament of Scotland, from 1605 to 1607....
- 1607: Ludovic Stewart, 2nd Duke of LennoxLudovic Stewart, 2nd Duke of LennoxLudovic Stewart, 2nd Duke of Lennox and 1st Duke of Richmond was a Scottish nobleman and politician. He was the son of Esmé Stewart, 1st Duke of Lennox and his wife Catherine de Balsac. Stewart was involved in the Plantation of Ulster in Ireland and the colonization of Maine in New England...
- 1609: George Keith, 5th Earl MarischalGeorge Keith, 5th Earl MarischalGeorge Keith, 5th Earl Marischal was a Scottish nobleman and Earl Marischal. He succeeded as earl on 7 October 1581, upon the death of his grandfather, William Keith, 4th Earl Marischal....
- 1621: James Hamilton, 2nd Marquess of HamiltonJames Hamilton, 2nd Marquess of HamiltonJames Hamilton, 2nd Marquess of Hamilton and 4th Earl of Arran KG PC , styled Lord Aven from 1599 to 1604, was a Scottish politician. He was the son of John Hamilton, 1st Marquess of Hamilton....
- 1639: John Stewart, 1st Earl of TraquairJohn Stewart, 1st Earl of TraquairJohn Stewart, 1st Earl of Traquair was a Scottish statesman, the son of John Stewart, the younger, of Traquair in Peeblesshire, of a branch, originally illegitimate, of the house of Buchan, and was created Baron Stewart of Traquair in 1628 and earl of Traquair in 1633.He was appointed...
- 1641: John, Lord Balmerino
- 1646: James Hamilton, 1st Duke of HamiltonJames Hamilton, 1st Duke of HamiltonGeneral Sir James Hamilton, 1st Duke of Hamilton KG was a Scottish nobleman and influential Civil war military leader.-Young Arran:...
- 1661: John Middleton, 1st Earl of MiddletonJohn Middleton, 1st Earl of MiddletonJohn Middleton, 1st Earl of Middleton was a Scottish army officer, who belonged to a Kincardineshire family which had held lands at Middleton since the 12th century....
- 1663: John Leslie, 7th Earl of RothesJohn Leslie, 1st Duke of RothesJohn Leslie , son of John Leslie, 6th Earl of Rothes, was the 7th Earl of Rothes and 1st Duke of Rothes. He was a descendant of Princess Beatrix, sister of King Malcolm III of Scotland...
- 1665: John Leslie, 7th Earl of RothesJohn Leslie, 1st Duke of RothesJohn Leslie , son of John Leslie, 6th Earl of Rothes, was the 7th Earl of Rothes and 1st Duke of Rothes. He was a descendant of Princess Beatrix, sister of King Malcolm III of Scotland...
( Convention of EstatesConvention of Estates of ScotlandThe Convention of Estates of Scotland sat between 16 March 1689 and 5 June 1689 to determine the settlement of the Scottish throne following the invasion of William, Prince of Orange...
) - 1667: John Leslie, 7th Earl of RothesJohn Leslie, 1st Duke of RothesJohn Leslie , son of John Leslie, 6th Earl of Rothes, was the 7th Earl of Rothes and 1st Duke of Rothes. He was a descendant of Princess Beatrix, sister of King Malcolm III of Scotland...
( Convention of EstatesConvention of Estates of ScotlandThe Convention of Estates of Scotland sat between 16 March 1689 and 5 June 1689 to determine the settlement of the Scottish throne following the invasion of William, Prince of Orange...
) - 1669: John Maitland, 1st Duke of LauderdaleJohn Maitland, 1st Duke of LauderdaleSir John Maitland, 1st Duke and 2nd Earl of Lauderdale, 3rd Lord Thirlestane KG PC , was a Scottish politician, and leader within the Cabal Ministry.-Background:...
- 1670: John Maitland, 1st Duke of LauderdaleJohn Maitland, 1st Duke of LauderdaleSir John Maitland, 1st Duke and 2nd Earl of Lauderdale, 3rd Lord Thirlestane KG PC , was a Scottish politician, and leader within the Cabal Ministry.-Background:...
- 1672: John Maitland, 1st Duke of LauderdaleJohn Maitland, 1st Duke of LauderdaleSir John Maitland, 1st Duke and 2nd Earl of Lauderdale, 3rd Lord Thirlestane KG PC , was a Scottish politician, and leader within the Cabal Ministry.-Background:...
- 1673: John Maitland, 1st Duke of LauderdaleJohn Maitland, 1st Duke of LauderdaleSir John Maitland, 1st Duke and 2nd Earl of Lauderdale, 3rd Lord Thirlestane KG PC , was a Scottish politician, and leader within the Cabal Ministry.-Background:...
- 1674: John Maitland, 1st Duke of LauderdaleJohn Maitland, 1st Duke of LauderdaleSir John Maitland, 1st Duke and 2nd Earl of Lauderdale, 3rd Lord Thirlestane KG PC , was a Scottish politician, and leader within the Cabal Ministry.-Background:...
- 1678: John Maitland, 1st Duke of LauderdaleJohn Maitland, 1st Duke of LauderdaleSir John Maitland, 1st Duke and 2nd Earl of Lauderdale, 3rd Lord Thirlestane KG PC , was a Scottish politician, and leader within the Cabal Ministry.-Background:...
( Convention of EstatesConvention of Estates of ScotlandThe Convention of Estates of Scotland sat between 16 March 1689 and 5 June 1689 to determine the settlement of the Scottish throne following the invasion of William, Prince of Orange...
) - 1681: James, Duke of Albany and YorkJames II of EnglandJames II & VII was King of England and King of Ireland as James II and King of Scotland as James VII, from 6 February 1685. He was the last Catholic monarch to reign over the Kingdoms of England, Scotland, and Ireland...
, later James VII - 1685: William Douglas, 1st Duke of QueensberryWilliam Douglas, 1st Duke of QueensberryWilliam Douglas, 1st Duke of Queensberry PC also 3rd Earl of Queensberry and 1st Marquess of Queensberry was a Scottish politician....
- 1686: Alexander Stuart, 5th Earl of MorayAlexander Stuart, 5th Earl of MoraySir Alexander Stuart, 5th Earl of Moray KT , was a Scottish nobleman who remained loyal to Roman Catholic James VII of Scotland .-Biography:...
- 1689: William Douglas, 3rd Duke of Hamilton
- 1690: George Melville, 1st Earl of MelvilleGeorge Melville, 1st Earl of MelvilleGeorge Melville, 1st Earl of Melville was a Scots aristocrat and statesman during the reigns of William and Mary.In 1643, he succeeded his father as Lord Melville.-Career:...
- 1693: William Douglas, 3rd Duke of Hamilton
- 1695: John Hay, 1st Marquess of TweeddaleJohn Hay, 1st Marquess of TweeddaleJohn Hay, 1st Marquess and 2nd Earl of Tweeddale was Lord Chancellor of Scotland....
- 1696: John, Earl of TullibardineJohn Murray, 1st Duke of AthollJohn Murray, 1st Duke of Atholl, KT, PC was a Scottish nobleman, politician, and soldier. He served in numerous positions during his life, and fought in the Glorious Revolution for William III and Mary II....
- 1698: Patrick Hume, 1st Earl of MarchmontPatrick Hume, 1st Earl of MarchmontPatrick Hume, 1st Earl of Marchmont , known as Sir Patrick Hume, 1st Baronet from 1648 to 1690 and as Lord Polwarth from 1690 to 1697, was a Scottish statesman...
- 1700: James Douglas, 2nd Duke of QueensberryJames Douglas, 2nd Duke of QueensberryJames Douglas, 2nd Duke of Queensberry and 1st Duke of Dover was a Scottish nobleman.He was the eldest son of William Douglas, 1st Duke of Queensberry and his wife Isabel Douglas, daughter of William Douglas, 1st Marquess of Douglas.Educated at the University of Glasgow, he was appointed a...
- 1702: James Douglas, 2nd Duke of QueensberryJames Douglas, 2nd Duke of QueensberryJames Douglas, 2nd Duke of Queensberry and 1st Duke of Dover was a Scottish nobleman.He was the eldest son of William Douglas, 1st Duke of Queensberry and his wife Isabel Douglas, daughter of William Douglas, 1st Marquess of Douglas.Educated at the University of Glasgow, he was appointed a...
- 1703: James Douglas, 2nd Duke of QueensberryJames Douglas, 2nd Duke of QueensberryJames Douglas, 2nd Duke of Queensberry and 1st Duke of Dover was a Scottish nobleman.He was the eldest son of William Douglas, 1st Duke of Queensberry and his wife Isabel Douglas, daughter of William Douglas, 1st Marquess of Douglas.Educated at the University of Glasgow, he was appointed a...
- 1704: John Hay, 2nd Marquess of TweeddaleJohn Hay, 2nd Marquess of TweeddaleJohn Hay, 2nd Marquess of Tweeddale was a Scottish nobleman.Hay was the eldest son of John Hay, 1st Marquess of Tweeddale and his wife, Jean, daughter of Walter Scott, 1st Earl of Buccleuch. In 1666, at Highgate in London, he married Lady Mary Maitland, daughter of John Maitland, 1st Duke of...
- 1705: John Campbell, 2nd Duke of ArgyllJohn Campbell, 2nd Duke of ArgyllField Marshal John Campbell, 2nd Duke of Argyll, 1st Duke of Greenwich KG , known as Iain Ruaidh nan Cath or Red John of the Battles, was a Scottish soldier and nobleman.-Early Life:...
- 1706: James Douglas, 2nd Duke of QueensberryJames Douglas, 2nd Duke of QueensberryJames Douglas, 2nd Duke of Queensberry and 1st Duke of Dover was a Scottish nobleman.He was the eldest son of William Douglas, 1st Duke of Queensberry and his wife Isabel Douglas, daughter of William Douglas, 1st Marquess of Douglas.Educated at the University of Glasgow, he was appointed a...