Henry Lauder, Lord St Germains

Henry Lauder, Lord St Germains (d. 19 July 1561 Edinburgh) was Lord Advocate of Scotland and one of the nine advocates nominated and appointed at the institution of the College of Justice as an Ordinary Lord, styled Lord St Germains, 13 January 1538. He was a son of Gilbert Lauder (d. before 19 May 1550), a son of Lauder of Haltoun, a Baillie & Burgess of Edinburgh, by his first wife Elizabeth Hopper (d. before September 1525). Henry Lauder was made a Burgess of Edinburgh on 14 March 1517 by right as son of his father.

In the Registrum Cartorum Domus de Soltre under date 16 August 1516, mention is made of "Magister et Dominus Henricus Lauder". Henry Lauder was described as Sheriff of Perth, by commission, in a sasine dated at Edinburgh 11 August 1518. In August 1524 he is described as one of the Sheriffs of Linlithgow, Berwickshire, Roxburghshire and Selkirkshire in April 1525, and of Selkirk again in May 1527.

He became a confidant, Deputy Advocate, Joint Lord Advocate (with Sir Adam Otterburne) (1533), and Lord Advocate (10 September 1538) to King James V and Mary, Queen of Scots. (When his son, Gilbert, was made a burgess of Edinburgh in 1562, the entry described Henry as "advocate to our sovereign Lady").

In a letter sent to the Court of Session by James V, he is styled "our lovit [loved] familiar clerk, Mr. Henry Lauder, our advocate". In 1538 Mary of Guise, widow of the Duc de Longueville, was married to James V in the cathedral of St Andrews, and on the occasion of the Queen's entry into Edinburgh, it was "devysit that Maister Henry Lawder be the persoun to welcum the Quenis grace in sic abulyement, and with the words in Fransche, as sall be devysit with avyse of Maister Adame Otterburne, Maister James Fowlis and David Lyndsay."

He was appointed to the Bench before 2 March 1540, and was King's Advocate in parliament 1538, 1540, 1541; and in 1542 he voted for the appointment of the Earl of Arran as Governor of Scotland. He was Commissioner for holding parliament between 1544 and 1548.

He acquired a house in the fashionable Cowgate, Edinburgh, and also in East Lothian as shown in the National Archives (GD3/2/4/3), where there is a Transcript of an Instrument of Renunciation by George Seton, baker and burgess of Edinburgh, in presence of Lord Seton, of lands of St Germains lying beside the lands of Seton within the constabulary of Haddington, to Mr Henry Lauder king's advocate, and Agnes Stewart (of the Rosyth family) his spouse, because of great injury and wrong done to them in hurting of her at her own place of St Germains, dated 1 April 1544.

In a Retour for Kirkcudbrightshire, (number 25), dated 25 October 1556, Henry Lauder, Queen's Advocate, was served heir of Gilbert Lauder, burgess of Edinburgh, his father, in 10 mercats of land of ancient extent called Netherthrid in the parish of Kirkormo. Also in the lands of Lagane extending to 5 mercats lands of ancient extent in the parish and barony of Cardeneis.

In the Register of the Privy Seal of Scotland there is "a letter made for Master Henry Lauder, our sovereign lady's advocate, his heirs and assignees, one or more, of the gift of the relief of all and the whole of the ten merk lands of old extent called the Nether Thrid, with the pertinents, lying in the parish of Kirkcormok within the Stewartry of Kirkudbrightshire, which our sovereign lady had siesed or given to the said Master Henry as heir to Gilbert Lauder, burgess of Edinburgh, his father, of the same. With power etc., gratis." Dated at Edinburgh, 27 January 1557–58.

In the National Archives (GD91/6) is a Precept of sasine by sir William Makdougall, chaplain of the Altar of St. Nicholas in the college kirk of Sanctgell (St Giles) within Edinburgh, in favour of Mr. Henry Lauder, their majesties' advocate (i.e., of Francis and Mary), as heir to deceased Gilbert Lauder, burgess of Edinburgh, his father, in lands of Pyttravy, following on precept furth of Chancery, dated 1 August 1560 and recorded 16 November 1560.

References
  • An Historical Account of the Senators of the College of Justice of Scotland from its Institution, by Sir David Dalrymple of Hailes, Bt., Edinburgh, 1849, p. 63.
  • Roll of Edinburgh Burgesses, 1406–1700, Scottish History Society, p. 298.
  • The Exchequer Rolls of Scotland, edited by George Powell McNeill, M.A.,LL.B., Edinburgh 1895, volume XV, 1523–1529, pps:621, 628, and 648.
  • The Exchequer Rolls of Scotland, edited by A.E.J.G.Mackay, M.A.,LL.D., volume XIV, 1513–1522, Edinburgh, 1893, page 609.
  • Selected Cases from Acta Dominorum Concilii 27 May 1532 – 5 July 1533, edited by Ian H Shearer, Stair Society, Edinburgh, 1951, p66.
  • Register of the Privy Seal of Scotland, vol.5, 1556–1567, edited by James Beveridge, M.A., and Gordon Donaldson, D.Litt., Edinburgh, 1957, charter number 308.
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