Lord Clerk Register

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.