During the nineteenth century, the functions of government increased, particularly at a local level dealing with issues such as public health, poor law relief, roads and education, and local authorities were active in providing water supplies, drainage, hospitals and town planning.

However the accountability of these boards was not clear, they were staffed by amateurs and they increased the scope for government patronage.

By the time the Scottish Office was formed in 1885, a number of institutions of government existed exclusively for Scotland: the Board of Supervision for Poor Relief which had been established in 1828, the Fishery Board which had been limited to Scotland in 1849, the General Board of Commissioners in Lunacy (established in 1857), the Scotch Education Department (established in 1872), and the Prisons Commission, created in 1877.

[3] Agriculture, Education and Health were left largely intact and reformed into Departments.

[8] All of the Departments were abolished in 1999 and most of their functions transferred to the newly formed Scottish Executive.

When the political office of Secretary for Scotland was established in 1885,[11] a permanent under-secretaryship was created, to be occupied by a civil servant.

The first office-holder was Francis Sandford, who had previously been secretary to the Scotch Education Department.

The office-holder was responsible for matters of devolution, as well as the financial management of the Office and local authority finance.