Scottish Privy Council Records

NRS, GD26/7/128 – Papers of the Leslie family, Earls of Leven and Melville.

Warrants of the Privy Council, 1708¹ (76 items including some duplicates)

‘Warrants for apprehending Persons in Scotland suspected of High Treason, 1707 addressed to David Earl of Leven Commander in Chief’.²

No. (as it appears in bundle)	Date (as in MS)	Accused	Sent from	Signatories
1	1/4/1708	Brown of Bishopton	St James’s	Pembroke, Queensberry, Montrose, Derby, Cholmondeley, Boyle, Vernon, Mar, Seafield, Loudoun, Erle
2	29/3/1708	Brown of Bishopton	St James’s	Pembroke, Queensberry, Montrose, Derby, Cholmondeley, Boyle, Vernon, Mar, Seafield, Loudoun
3	3/3/1707	Lord Belhaven	Kensington	Pembroke, Godolphin, Marlborough, Devonshire, Sunderland, Somerset, Montrose, Loudoun, Seafield
4	3/3/1707	Lord Belhaven	Kensington	Double of above
5	30/3/1708	Lord Belhaven	St James’s	Pembroke, Somerset, Queensberry, Montrose, Sunderland, Mar, Seafield, Loudoun
6	29/3/1708	Lord Balmerino	St James’s	Newcastle (EPC Clerk), Devonshire, Somerset, Kent, Derby, Loudoun, Montrose, Sunderland, Mar, Cholmondeley, Seafield, Townshend
7	30/3/1708	Lt. Col. Balfour	St James’s	Pembroke, Newcastle, Somerset, Queensberry, Montrose, Sunderland, Mar, Seafield, Loudoun
8	8/3/1707	Lt. Col. Balfour	Kensington	Pembroke, Godolphin, Somerset, Devonshire, Sunderland, Montrose, Marlborough, Loudoun, Seafield
9	8/3/1707	Lt. Co. Balfour	Kensington	Double of above
10	8/3/1707	William Bruce of Kinross	Kensington	Pembroke, Godolphin, Somerset, Sunderland Montrose, Marlborough, Seafield, Devonshire, Loudoun.
11	8/3/1707	William Bruce of Kinross	Kensington	Double of the above
12	8/3/1707	Cameron of Lochiel	?	Godolphin, Pembroke, Cowper, Marlborough, Devonshire, Montrose, Mar, Sunderland, Loudoun, Seafield, Boyle
13	8/3/1707	Cameron of Lochiel	?	Double of the above
14	21/3/1708	Cameron of Lochiel younger	St James’s	Pembroke, Queensberry, Montrose, Derby, Mar, Seafield, Loudoun, Boyle, Vernon
15	30/3/1708	Lord Drummond	St James’s	Pembroke, Newcastle, Somerset, Queensberry, Montrose, Sunderland, Mar, Seafield, Loudoun
16	8/3/1707	Lord Drummond	Kensington	Marlborough, Godolphin, Cowper, Pembroke, Devonshire, Montrose, Mar, Sunderland, Boyle, Loudoun, Seafield
17	8/3/1707	Lord Drummond	Kensington	Double of the above
18	30/3/1708	Former bishop of Edinburgh	St James’s	Pembroke, Newcastle, Somerset, Queensberry, Montrose, Sunderland, Mar, Seafield, Loudoun
19	29/3/1708	Former bishop of Edinburgh	St James’s	Newcastle, Somerset, Devonshire, Townshend, Kent, Seafield, Sunderland, Derby, Montrose, Mar, Loudoun
20	30/3/1708	Edmonston of Newtoun	St James’s	Pembroke, Somerset, Devonshire, Montrose, Mar, Sunderland, Seafield, Loudoun
21	29/3/1708	Charles Fleming (Earl of Wigton’s brother)	St James’s	Pembroke, Queensberry, Montrose, Mar, Loudoun, Derby, Cholmondeley, Seafield, Boyle, Vernon
22	1/4/1708	Charles Fleming	?	Pembroke, Queensberry, Montrose, Derby, Mar, Seafield, Cholmondeley, Loudoun, Boyle, Vernon
23	29/3/1708	Andrew Fletcher of Saltoun	St James’s	Devonshire, Somerset, Kent, Derby, Montrose, Cholmondeley, Seafield, Sunderland, Mar, Loudoun, Townshend
24	8/3/1707	Fotheringham of Pourie	Kensington	Pembroke, Godolphin, Somerset, Marlborough, Sunderland, Montrose, Devonshire, Loudoun, Seafield
25	30/3/1708	Fotheringham of Pourie	St James’s	Pembroke, Somerset, Queensberry, Montrose, Mar, Sunderland, Seafield, Loudoun
26	30/3/1708	Gordon of Buckie	St James’s	Pembroke, Newcastle, Somerset, Queensberry, Montrose, Sunderland, Mar, Loudoun Seafield
27	30/3/1708	Gordon of Buckie	St James’s	Double of the above
28	21/3/1708	Gordoun of Gallachie	St James’s	Pembroke, Queensberry, Montrose, Mar, Derby, Seafield, Loudoun, Boyle, Vernon
29	30/3/1708	Graham of Fintry	St James’s	Newcastle, Pembroke, Somerset, Queensberry, Montrose, Mar, Sunderland, Seafield, Loudoun
30	8/3/1707	Graham of Fintry	Kensington	Pembroke, Godolphin, Somerset, Marlborough, Sunderland, Montrose, Devonshire, Loudoun, Seafield
31	8/3/1707	Graham of Fintry	Kensington	Double of the above
32	8/3/1707	Lord Kenmure	Kensington	Devonshire, Pembroke, Marlborough, Godolphin, Cowper, Mar, Montrose, Sunderland, Loudoun, Seafield, Boyle
33	30/3/1708	Viscount of Kilsyth	St James’s	Pembroke, Somerset, Queensberry, Montrose, Sunderland, Mar, Seafield, Loudoun
34	8/3/1707	Viscount Kilsyth	Kensington	Cowper, Pembroke, Montrose, Devonshire, Marlborough, Mar, Loudoun, Sunderland, Godolphin, Boyle, Seafield
35	8/3/1707	Patrick Lyon of Auchterhouse	Kensington	Godolphin, Somerset, Pembroke, Sunderland, Montrose, Marlborough, Devonshire, Loudoun, Seafield
36	8/3/1707	Lyon of Auctherhouse	Kensington	Double of the above
37		Lyon of Auchterhouse	St James’s	Pembroke, Somerset, Queensberry, Montrose, Sunderland, Mar, Seafield, Loudoun
38	8/3/1707	Captain of Clanronnald	Kensington	Godolphin, Cowper, Devonshire, Pembroke, Marlborough, Montrose, Mar, Sunderland, Boyle, Loudoun, Seafield
39	8/3/1707	Captain of Clanranald	Kensington	Double of the above
40	30/3/1708	Captain of Clanranald	St James’s	?
41	30/3/1708	Macdonald of Keppoch (notes that it should be tried by the SPC or some other Scottish judicatory).	St James’s	Somerset, Pembroke, Queensberry, Montrose, Sunderland, Mar, Seafield, Loudoun
42	8/3/1707	MacDonald of Glencarie	Kensington	Marlborough, Cowper, Sunderland, Godolphin, Mar, Montrose, Devonshire, Loudoun, Boyle, Seafield, Pembroke
43	8/3/1707	Macdonald of Glencarie	Kensington	Double of the above
44	29/3/1708	Sir Donald MacDonald	?	Pembroke, Queensberry, Montrose, Mar, Loudoun, Derby, Cholmondeley, Boyle, Vernon, Seafield
45	25/4/1708	McGie of Palgoun	Kensington	Cowper, Pembroke, Newcastle, Queensberry, Sunderland, Mar, Boyle, Loudoun
46	8/3/1707	Sir John Maclean	Kensington	Cowper, Godolphin, Marlborough, Devonshire, Pembroke, Montrose, Mar, Sunderland, Loudoun, Boyle, Seafield
47	8/3/1707	Sir John Maclean	Kensington	Double of the above
48	30/3/1708	Sir John Maclean	?	Pembroke, Somerset, Queensberry, Montrose, Sunderland, Mar, Seafield, Loudoun
49	21/3/1707	James Malcolme	St James’s	Godolphin, Pembroke, Marlborough, Sunderland, Loudoun, Mar, Derby, Townshend
50	15/4/1708	Sir George Maxwell	Kensington	Sunderland, ‘Tho: Cantuarb’ [Tennison, archbishop of Canterbury?], Cowper, Mar, Newcastle, Loudoun, Queensberry, Seafield, Montrose
51	29/3/1708	More of Leckie	St James’s	Pembroke, Mar, Queensberry, Loudoun, Montrose, Derby, Seafield, Boyle, Vernon
52	29/3/1708	Lord James Murray	St James’s	Pembroke, Queensberry, Montrose, Mar, Loudoun, Derby, Seafield, Boyle, Vernon
53	1/4/1708	Lord James Murray	St James’s	Pembroke, Queensberry, Montrose, Mar, Seafield, Derby, Cholmondeley, Loudoun, Boyle, Vernon
54	29/3/1708	Murray of Polmais elder	St James’s	Pembroke, Queensberry, Montrose, Mar, Derby, Loudoun, Seafield, Boyle, Vernon
55	30/3/1708	Robert Murray, brother to Abercarnie	St James’s	Pembroke, Somerset, Queensberry, Montrose, Sunderland, Mar, Seafield, Loudoun
56	29/3/1708	Mushett of Calichatt	St James’s	Pembroke, Queensberry, Montrose, Mar, Derby, Loudoun, Seafield, Boyle, Vernon
57	8/3/1707	Lord Nairne	Kensington	Cowper, Godolphin, Pembroke, Marlborough, Mar, Montrose, Devonshire, Sunderland, Loudoun, Boyle, Seafield
58	8/3/1707	Lord Nairne	Kensignton	Double of the above
59	8/3/1707	Ogilvie of Pourie	Kensington	Pembroke, Godolphin, Somerset, Marlborough, Seafield, Montrose, Sunderland, Loudoun
60	25/4/1708	Walter Riddell of Glenriddell	Kensgington	Pembroke, Cowper, Newcastle, Queensberry, Sunderland, Mar, Loudoun, Boyle
61	8/3/1707	Robertsone of Strowan/Struan	Kensington	Cowper, Marlborough, Godolphin, Montrose, Devonshire, Sunderland, Pembroke, Boyle, Mar, Loudoun, Seafield
62	30/3/1708	Robertsone of Strowan	St James’s	Pembroke, Somerset, Queensberry, Montrose, Sunderland, Mar, Seafield, Loudoun
63	8/3/1707	Robertsone of Strowan	Kensington	Cowper, Marlborough, Godolphin, Montrose, Devonshire, Sunderland, Pembroke, Boyle, Mar, Loudoun, Seafield
64	8/3/1707	Lord Salton	Kensington	Pembroke, Godolphin, Somerset Marlborough, Devonshire, Sunderland, Montrose, Loudoun, Seafield
65				Double of the above
66	29/3/1708	Laird of Touch, Archibald Seton	St James’s	Pembroke, Queensberry, Mar, Montrose, Derby, Loudoun, Seafield, Boyle, Vernon
67	8/3/1707	Lord Sinclair	Kensington	Godolphin, Pembroke, Somerset, Devonshire, Sunderland, Montrose, Marlborough, Seafield, Loudoun
68	30/3/1708	Lord Sinclair	St James’s	Pembroke, Somerset, Queensberry, Montrose, Mar, Sunderland, Seafield, Loudoun
69	8/3/1707	Lord Sinclair	Kensington	Godolphin, Pembroke, Somerset, Devonshire, Sunderland, Montrose, Marlborough, Seafield, Loudoun
70	30/3/1708	Laird of Appin	St James’s	Pembroke, Somerset, Queensberry, Montrose, Mar, Sunderland, Loudoun, Seafield
71	29/3/1708	Stewart of Boigs	St James’s	Pembroke, Queensberry, Mar, Montrose, Loudoun, Derby, Seafield, Boyle, Vernon
72	30/3/1708	Mr Dougall Stewart	St James’s	Pembroke, Newcastle, Somerset, Queensberry, Montrose, Mar, Sunderland, Loudoun, Seafield
73	29/3/1708	Mr Dougall Stewart	St James’s	Kent, Montrose, Sunderland, Mar, Townshend, Loudoun, Cholmondeley
74	29/3/1708	Stewart of Stennachie elder	St James’s	Pembroke, Queensberry, Montrose, Mar, Derby, Loudoun, Seafield, Boyle, Vernon
75	8/3/1707	Lord (Viscount) Stormont	Kensington	Marlborough, Pembroke, Cowper, Godolphin, Devonshire, Mar, Montrose, Loudoun, Sunderland, Boyle, Seafield
76	8/3/1707	Viscount Kenmure	Kensington	Double of the above

Glossary of Persons

Name	Title	Office(s)
James Douglas	2^nd Duke of Queensberry
James Graham	4^th Marquis/1^st Duke of Montrose	Lord President of SPC
James Ogilvie	1^st Earl of Seafield	Secretary of State
John Erskine	22^nd/6^th Earl of Mar
Hugh Campbell	3^rd Earl of Loudoun
David Boyle	Lord Boyle and 1^st Earl of Glasgow	Lord Treasurer Depute
Robert Spencer	4^th Earl of Sunderland
Charles Seymour	6^th Duke of Somerset
Sidney Godolphin	1^st Earl of Godolphin
Henry Grey	12^th Earl/Marquis of Kent	Lord Chamberlain
John Holles	1^st Duke of Newcastle
Charles Townshend	2^nd Viscount Townshend
Thomas Tennison	Archbishop of Canterbury	Archbishop of Canterbury
Thomas Herbert	8^th Earl of Pembroke	Lord President of EPC
William Cavendish	1^st Duke of Devonshire
James Stanley	10^th Earl of Derby	Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster
John Churchill	1^st Duke of Marlborough
William Cowper	3^rd Bt. of Hertford Castle
George Cholmondeley	2^nd Earl of Cholmondeley	Lt General
James Vernon	2^nd of Westminster	Clerk to EPC
Thomas Erle	1^st of Charborough	Lt General

Attendance of above at the English Privy Council

No.	Name	SCOT/ ENG	3 March 1708	8 March 1708	21 March 1708	21 March 1708	29 March 1708	30 March 1708	1 April 1708	15 April 1708	25 April 1708
1	Queensberry	SCOT				X	X	X	X	X	X
2	Montrose	SCOT	X	X		X	X	X	X	X	X
3	Seafield	SCOT	X	X		X	X	X	X	X	X
4	Mar	SCOT		X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X
5	Loudoun	SCOT	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X
6	Boyle	SCOT		X		X	X		X		X
7	Sunderland	ENG	X	X	X		X	X	X	X
8	Somerset	ENG	X	X			X	X
9	Godolphin	ENG	X	X	X			X
10	Kent	ENG					X
11	Newcastle	ENG					X	X		X
12	Townshend	ENG			X		X
13	Thomas Tennison, Archbishop of Canterbury (?)	ENG								X
14	Pembroke		X	X	X	X	X	X	X		X
15	Devonshire	ENG	X	X			X	X
16	Derby	ENG			X	X	X		X		X
17	Marlborough	ENG	X	X	X			X
18	Cowper	ENG		X						X
19	Cholmondley	ENG					X		X		X
20	Vernon	ENG				X	X		X		X
21	Thomas Erle	ENG	X

1. While in the NRS catalogue and within the MS it notes that this was 1707-8, all of these items were actually in 1708. The dates were recorded in the English style according to the Julian calendar, with the legal new year not occurring until 25 March. Scotland had adopted 1 January as the new year in 1600 but this was not adopted south of the Tweed until 1752.

2. All of those named in these warrants stood accused of ‘treason or treasonable practices’, which had been decided upon by a group of councillors at the English court and then sent on to David, earl of Leven (see glossary of persons below). Unclear why it was sent to him and not to the lord advocate, but this (I think) speaks to the diminution of the council’s powers and functions. In all the warrants, either Leven or the SPC are ordered to seize the accused and bring them to trial before the privy council or some other Scottish court. This seems to me very interesting, as it preceded the 1708 Treason Act, which of course stipulated that Scottish traitors and Jacobites could be tried by English courts. Was this a last-ditch effort to purge these ‘traitors’ through Scottish law courts?