ABSTRACT
James VI was not necessarily the best person to diagnose the causes of his own ‘mis-thriving in money matters’, but when he recommended ‘meane, but responsall’ financial administrators he surely had the Octavians in mind. This group of eight exchequer commissioners, appointed in 1596, played a major role in Scottish politics until 1598. They attracted much attention from contemporaries, and their innovations led to a long-term shift in the way in which those in power thought about the collection and management of royal money. A full account of the Octavians’ fiscal policy-making remains to be written; the present chapter will outline their fiscal role briefly but will concentrate mainly on the task of outlining their political influence. This is relevant to the question of ‘noble power’ during James’ reign. James’ remark about ‘meane’ men has been much quoted; by appointing the Octavians, was he undermining the power of the traditional nobility by giving power to ‘meane’ men? Were the Octavians ‘new men’ – another much-discussed idea? What was their role in the changing Scottish state?
