Controller General
Appointed Controller General of Finance
Permanent historical records · Updated 2026-11-03
1720 in Scotland
Explore 16 historical events and records for Scotland in 1720.
Historical records for Scotland in 1720
Sorted by month and day. Records with no month are shown last. Showing 16 of 16 unique records.
16Unique records
1 of 1Page
16Named events on this page
2Named people on this page
2Places on this page
January
May
Reform of Currency
Bank-notes & company shares are devalued
Dismissal
Dismissed as the Controller General of Finance
Reform of Government
The edict of 21st May is repealed
December
Birth of the Young Pretender
Birth of the "Young Pretender", son of James Edward "the Old Pretender", son of the exiled Stuart King James VII and II, and Maria Clementina Sobieska, the granddaughter of John III Sobieski
Other events (month unknown)
Banknote Redemptions Come Under Pressure
Holders sought to convert paper claims into specie as doubts spread about the solvency and stability of the system.
Banknotes Granted Broad Legal Status
Authorities strengthened the circulation of royal banknotes by requiring or encouraging their use in financial transactions.
Company Share Support Scheme Introduced
Law's financial organisation attempted to support share prices through exchanges and monetary arrangements involving banknotes.
Controller General of Finances Appointed
Law briefly became Controller General of Finances, placing the Scottish financier at the head of French fiscal administration.
Devaluation Edict Withdrawn
The government reversed the unpopular May devaluation measure, but the reversal did not restore confidence.
Large Coin Payments Restricted
Regulations curtailed substantial gold and silver payments as the government sought to bolster acceptance of paper money.
Law Leaves France after Collapse
Law departed France following the breakdown of the monetary system he had helped create.
Law Removed from Finance Office
Law lost the office of Controller General of Finances during the deepening collapse of his financial system.
May Devaluation Edict Announced
A royal edict ordered reductions in the stated value of banknotes and company shares, alarming investors.
Mississippi Bubble Undermines Public Confidence
The collapse of share and note values damaged the credibility of Law's experiment in state supported credit.
Share Prices Fall Sharply
Company shares lost much of their speculative value as the Mississippi financial boom gave way to a crash.
How these records were prepared
Generated from the World History Database historical_events table. Identical display records are collapsed; descriptions otherwise retain the stored text. Coverage and source quality vary. Check primary and specialist sources before citing individual historical claims.