The Gentleman Usher of the Green Rod is the Gentleman Usher of the Order of the Thistle.

The Gentleman Usher of the Green Rod is one of the five officer positions in the Order of the Thistle, Scotland's order of chivalry. The current Gentleman Usher of the Green Rod is Rear Adml Christopher Hope Layman.

The position of Gentleman Usher of the Green Rod is no different than that of any Gentleman Usher. In some ways the Gentleman Usher of any establishment can be thought of somewhat as a butler. Typically they are not responsible for cleaning and serving, but they are the forward face and managerial power of the servants in the establishment. Typically, the Gentleman usher would also be charged with swearing in the servants of a house.

The Gentleman Usher of the Green Rod has the above tasks and duties, but only in relation to the Order of the Thistle. Also, unlike the English equivalent, the Gentleman Usher of the Green Rod is not tasked for perform for the House of Lords.

1771-1851

Robert Dundas, 2nd Viscount Melville, was the son of Henry Dundas, a prominent Scottish state figure.

Robert Dundas was born on the 14th of March 1771 in Edinburgh. The prominence of his father, Henry Dundas allowed him to go to the Royal High School and follow this with a tour of continental Europe. His travels led him to enroll in the University of Göttingen, in Göttingen, Germany. He followed this with studies at the University of Edinburgh and the Emmanuel College in Cambridge. He was called to the Bar in 1788.

After practicing law for 6 years, Robert Dundas was employed as his father's personal secretary in 1794. The same year he was brought in as the Minister of Parliament for Hastings, and Rye in 1796.

Robert Dundas was appointed as the Keeper of the Signet for Scotland and the MP for Midlothian in 1801. Though having a relatively quite career, in 1807 he was awarded the position of President of the Board of Control for India. His good work in disrupting any potential attempt at India from Napoleon led Robert Dundas to be promoted to a promotion to First Lord of the Admiralty in 1812. His perseverance to improving naval technology and general success led to numerous place names, though they follow his title of Melville.

The Order of the Thistle is Scotland's order of chivalry.

The Order of the Thistle is an order of sixteen Scottish knights, and a potentially unlimited number of "extra knights" who are not necessarily Scottish. The current Order of the Thistle was created by James VII in 1687. He claimed to be reviving a previous chivalristic order of the same name, though such a claim is lacking in support.

The earliest information pointing to an Order of the Thistle predecessor is records of James V. According to various accounts, after he was admitted to the Order of the Golden Fleece, James V was ashamed of not having an equal honor to bestow upon foreign figures and created the order. The Order of the Thistle has a more fanciful origin story, involving Oengus mac Fergusa, who at a battle against King Aethelstan of East Anglia, saw the cross of St. Andrew in the sky, and created the Order of the Thistle after the battle. Though regardless, it is recorded that the current order was started with the letter patent reviving and restoring the Order of the Thistle to its full glory, luster and magnificency" on the 29th May 1687.

The Lord Clerk Register, though largely now an honorific role, is the oldest Great Officer of Scotland position left in Scotland.

The position of Lord Clerk Register is first recorded in 1286. At the time of its inception, the role was essentially to be the chief clerk throughout the country. All clerks throughout Scotland, no matter what their role was, were essentially the deputies of the Lord Clerk Register. The position also entailed the custodianship of records from Parliament, the Exchequer and the crown.

In records, the Lord Clerk Register was originally referred to as the Clericus Rotulorum, reflecting the fact that records were kept in rolls of paper. With shifting responsibilities the name eventually became Rotuli Parliamenti.

The Act of Union 1707 made the Lord Clerk Register responsible for the election and management of the sixteen Scottish peers to the House of the Lords in the British Parliament. The significance of the Lord Clerk register roll began to wane in 1806, when the Deputy Clerk Register was appointed. The Keeper of the Signet position in Scotland was attributed to the Lord Clerk in 1817. In 1879, the responsibilities of the position were transferred tot eh Deputy Clerk Register.

Today, the Lord Clerk register does not hold any responsibility to elect peers, as the positions were abolished in 1963. James Mackay, Baron Mackay of Clashfern, currently holds the Lord Clerk Register position.

If there is a Loch Ness monster, she’s feeling pretty good about herself right now. Robert H. Rines, the man who came closer than anyone to proving the existence of the fabled serpent, died last week at the age of 87.

Henry Dundas was an influential figure in Scottish history, this can be seen through the plethora of geographical places named after him.

Perhaps one of the most prominent amongst them in the world is the town of Dundas in Ontario, Canada. The name was given to the town in 1814 by John Graves Simcoe, Lieutenant Governor of Upper Canada, and personal friend of Henry Dundas. The town is now considered to be part of Hamilton, Ontario. Historically speaking, Ontario was also the home of a Dundas county.

Several roads and highways within proximity of Dundas also have the same name. In Hong Kong there is also a street named Dundas Street, in honor of Henry Dundas. On the North coast of British Columbia in Canada, there was a Dundas Island. Though it was discovered that it was less of an island and more of an archipelago. Upon this discovery, the involved island were all renamed to reflect the titles of Henry Dundas.

Dundas places extend as far south as Australia. In New South Wales there is a District of Dundas. Sydney currently has a district named Dundas. Dundas Hills in Australia was also a gold mine, though eventually disbanded, it did help form the Dundas Shire.

To fully appreciate the number of Dundas place names of the world, it is advisable to read our short history of his life.

1742-1811

Henry Dundas was a prominent Scottish politician, he was also a significant in anti-slave labor abolition attempts, and the last person to be impeached in the House of Lords.

Henry Dundas was born on the 28th of April 1742, in Dalkeith, Midlothian. His father, Robert Dundas was a very influential man in the Scotland, being Lord President of the Court of Sessions. Henry Dundas utilized his father prominence and attended the Royal High School and the University of Edinburgh.

Henry Dundas was admitted to the Faculty of Advocates in 1763. His father's influence, and his half brother's succession to the position of Lord President of the court of Sessions, certainly assisted with his rapid rise in the legal career. Henry Dundas became the Solicitor General for Scotland in 1766, and received an appointment as the Lord Advocate in 1775. Though at this time he was already greatly dedicated to pursuing a political career and being involved in public affairs.

Henry Dundas entered the Parliament of Great Britain in 1774, representing Midlothian. By 1791 Henry Dundas had attained the position of Secretary of the State for the Home Department. Using this position he excreted pressure against the abolition of the Slave Trade. In 1804 he became the First Lord of the Admirality. Though an investigation was soon launched against him and his alleged misappropriation of funds while serving as the treasurer of the Admirality in the years between 1782 and 1800. He was impeached in 1806.

1745-1831

Henry MacKenzie, who came to be known as “Addison of the North”, was a Scottish novelist and essay writer.

Henry MacKenzie was born in the August of 1745, in Edinburgh. His father, Joshua MacKenzie, was an influential physician at the time. Henry attended the Royal High School and the University of Edinburgh. In the interest of a future career, Henry MacKenzie was sent as an apprentice to George Inglis of Redhall, to learn of the exchequer business, as it was deemed that this line would prove to have the least number of career competitors. In 1756, Henry MacKenzie traveled to London to learn more of the exchequer work. Upon his return to Edinburgh, Henry MacKenzie became a business partner of Inglis.

The literary career of Henry MacKenzie was not as straight forward. His book, “The Man of Feeling” was not accepted by any publishers for several years. Henry MacKenzie resorted to an anonymous self-publication of the book in 1771. The success was instant and overwhelming. Eccles, a Bath based clergyman attempted to claim that the book was his creation, and although he did gather some supporters, the general consensus eventually sided with Henry MacKenzie and his claim to the book.
Henry MacKenzie published further books, though with a gradual decrease in success. His second was published in 1773 and came to titled “The Man of the World”. “The Prince of Tunis” followed, in the same year. Henry MacKenzie served in several positions as an editor of publications, along with being a author. He published several political essays, supporting his Tory views.

In his private life, Henry MacKenzie was married in 1776 and had eleven children. He died on the 14th of January 1831. His grave resides in the Greyfriars Kirkyard.

1722-1808

John Home was a Scottish theater writer, soldier and poet.

John Home was born on the 22nd of September 1722, in Leith. His father, Alexander Home, was a town clerk. With the associated affluence that came with the position, Alexander Home was able to send John Home to Leith Grammar School and subsequently to the University of Edinburgh. He graduate with a Master of Arts in 1742, though his prime interest lay in becoming a soldier, his studies were in divinity. In 1745 he was licensed by the presbytery in 1745, though that was also the same year that he volunteered to fight against the Jacobite Uprising. He was captured and imprisoned at the Battle of Falkirk.

Upon his escape, John Home joined the parish in Athelstaneford, in East Lothian. While there, John Home began his career as a dramatist. His first work, “Agis: a tragedy”, was deemed unsuitable for the stage by the English theater manager, David Garrick. The set back inspired him to create a new work, it came to be titled “Douglas” and took five years to complete. It was also rejected by David Garick, though on this occasion, the friends of John Home encouraged him to perform the production in Scoland. On the 14th of December 1756 it received its first showing. His work was met with wide praise, with David Hume () once saying that John Home possessed "the true theatric genius of Shakespeare and Otway, refined from the unhappy barbarism of the one and licentiousness of the other."

The rising popularity and regard of John Home led him to receive a pension ad a position as the private secretary to Lord Bute. His other works were also brought to the stage. Initially, his original play, Agis, was shown in London. It was a mild success but paled in comparison to Douglas. It was followed by the less successful “The Siege of Aquileia”. The pattern of waning interest continued with “The Fatal Discovery”, “Alonzo” and finally “Alfred”. The latter led to his retirement from theater writing.

John Home once again joined the armed forces in 1778, though a fall from a horse left him with permanent brain injuries and an eventual retirement. From 1767 until his death in 1808 John Home resided in Edinburgh or at his villa.

1736-1796

James Macpherson was a Scottish poet, best known for his work on the Ossian.

James Macpherson was born to Andrew Macpherson, a poor farmer, in the village of Ruthven, on the 27th of October 1736. He moved away from the small Inverness-shire village in 1753 and attended King’s College in Aberdeen. Merely two years later he moved to Marischal College in the same city. He also resided in Edinburgh for approximately a year, although it is disputed whether he attended the university or not.

Though reputed to be a poet of great note during his studies, James Macpherson returned to his home village to become a teacher and private tutor. This time saw James Macpherson develop both his skill and an interest in the literature of ancient Scotland.

James Macpherson came to be acquainted with John Home. Through a sharing of works, James Macpherson was eventually encouraged to publish some of his Scottish Gaelic translated poetry. He released “Fragments of Ancient Poetry Collected in the Highlands of Scotland” in 1960.

The most notable work of James Macpherson was published the following year. James Macpherson claimed to have discovered some works by Ossian, about the Irish and Scottish mythological figure Fingal. The poems were originally released in “Fingal, an Ancient Epic Poem in Six Books, together with Several Other Poems composed by Ossian, the Son of Fingal, translated from the Gaelic Language”. In 1763, James Macpherson published “Temora” and followed this with “The Works of Ossian” in 1765. The works which were claimed to have been translated from Scottish Gaelic were almost instantly met with heavy criticism and skepticism. Some researchers went so far as to say that the works are nothing but the creation of James Macpherson himself.