The office of Keeper of the Privy Seal of Scotland, one of the Great Officers of State, first appears in the reign of David II. After the Act of Union 1707 its holder was normally a peer, like the Keeper of the Great Seal. The office has remained unfilled since the death of Gavin Campbell, 1st Marquess of Breadalbane in 1922.
Section 3 of the Public Offices (Scotland) Act 1817 limited the salary for the office to a maximum of £1,200 per annum. The salary was paid out of the fees charged for instruments passing the Privy Seal, after the salary of the Deputy Keeper had been paid. Keepers of the Privy Seal of Scotland
1371: Sir John Lyon ? 1424: Walter Foote, Provost of Bothwell 1426: John Cameron, Provost of Lincluden, Bishop of Glasgow 1432: William Foulis, Provost of Bothwell 1442: William Turnbull, canon of Glasgow 1458: Thomas Spens, Bishop of Galloway 1459: John Arouse 1463: James Lindsay, Provost of Lincluden 1467: Thomas Spens (again), Bishop of Aberdeen 1470: William Tulloch, Bishop of Orkney, later of Moray 1482: Andrew Stewart, Bishop of Moray and half-brother to James III 1483: David Livingston, Provost of Lincluden 1489: John, Prior of St Andrews 1500: William Elphinstone, Bishop of Aberdeen 1507: Alexander Gordon, Bishop of Aberdeen 1514: David, Abbot of Arbroath 1519: George Crichton, Abbot of Holyrood and from 1526 the Bishop of Dunkeld ????: Robert Colvill, of Crawford 1542: David Beaton, Abbot of Arbroath, Cardinal Archbishop of St Andrews 1542: John Hamilton, Abbot of Paisley, later Archbishop of St Andrews 1547: William Ruthven, 2nd Lord Ruthven 1533: Alexander Seton, 1st Lord Fyvie 1563: Sir Richard Maitland, of Lethington 1567: John Maitland, Prior of Coldingham 1571: George Buchanan 1581: John Maitland, Prior of Coldingham 1583: Walter Stewart, commendator of Blantyre 1595: Sir Richard Cockburn of Clerkington 1626: Thomas Hamilton, 1st Earl of Melrose, later 1st Earl of Haddington 1641: Robert Ker, 1st Earl of Roxburghe 1649: John Gordon, 14th Earl of Sutherland (appointed by the Parliament) 1660: William Keith, 7th Earl Marischal 1661: Charles Seton, 2nd Earl of Dunfermline 1672: John Murray, 2nd Earl of Atholl, later 1st Marquess of Atholl 1689: Archibald Douglas, 1st Earl of Forfar 1689: John Keith, 1st Earl of Kintore 1689: John Carmichael, 2nd Lord Carmichael 1690: George Melville, 1st Earl of Melville 1695: James Douglas, 2nd Duke of Queensberry 1702: John Murray, 2nd Marquess of Atholl, later 1st Duke of Atholl 1705: James Douglas, 2nd Duke of Queensberry 1709: James Graham, 1st Duke of Montrose 1713: John Murray, 1st Duke of Atholl 1714: John Ker, 1st Duke of Roxburghe 1715: William Johnston, 1st Marquess of Annandale 1721: Archibald Campbell, 1st Earl of Ilay 1733: James Murray, 2nd Duke of Atholl 1763: James Stuart-Mackenzie 1765: Lord Frederick Campbell 1765: John Campbell, 3rd Earl of Breadalbane and Holland 1766: James Stuart-Mackenzie 1800: Henry Dundas, later 1st Viscount Melville 1811: Robert Saunders Dundas, 2nd Viscount Melville 1851: vacant 1853: Fox Maule Ramsay, 2nd Baron Panmure, later 11th Earl of Dalhousie 1874: Schomberg Henry Kerr, 9th Marquess of Lothian 1900: Ronald Ruthven Leslie-Melville, 11th Earl of Leven 1907: Gavin Campbell, 1st Marquess of Breadalbane 1922: vacant
Sources J. Haydn, The Book of Dignities, 1894 François Velde, in thread "Keepers of the Privy Seal of Scotland, 1874–1907", newsgroup alt.talk.royalty, 26 April 2005
See also Keeper of the seals Lord Privy Seal
References