The secretary of state was one of the senior ministers of the Jacobite court in exile following the Glorious Revolution of 1688.
In common with Jacobite attempts to create a shadow court in exile that matched that in London, the role was based on the British position of secretary of state. In London, the role had been split into two: Northern Secretary and Southern Secretary. At the Jacobite court in exile, first in Paris and then in Rome, the claimants alternated between having one or two secretaries of state. From 1689 to 1759 a series of unsuccessful attempts were made to invade Britain which would have restored the secretaries' effective power.
Selected list of holders Image Secretary From To Jacobite claimant John Drummond, 1st Earl of Melfort 1688 1694 James II & VII Charles Middleton, 2nd Earl of MiddletonSzechi p.52 1693 1713 James II & VII / James III & VIII Thomas HiggonsMelville p.215 1713 1715James III & VIII Henry St John, 1st Viscount Bolingbroke 1715 1716 John Erskine, Earl of Mar 1716 1724 John Hay, Duke of InvernessMelville p.215 1724 1727 John Graeme, Earl of AlfordMelville p.215 1727 1728 James Murray, Earl of Dunbar 1728 1747 Daniel O'Brien, Earl of Lismore 1747 1759 John Graeme, Earl of AlfordMelville p.215 1759 1763 James Edgar 1763 1764 Andrew Lumisden 1764 1768 James III & VIII / Charles III John Baptist Caryll 1768 1777 Charles III
See also Secretary of State for Scotland Secretary of State (Kingdom of Scotland) Secretary of State (England) Secretary of State (United Kingdom)
References
Bibliography Melville, Henry Massue Ruvigny Et Raineval. The Jacobite Peerage, Baronetage, Knightage, and Grants of Honour. Genealogical Publishing, 2003. Miller, Peggy. James. George Allen & Unwin, 1971. Szechi, Daniel. 1715: The Great Jacobite Rebellion. Yale University Press, 2006.