-- The Scottish
Church 1528 -- 1690
1528
- - - Patrick Hamilton, the first martyr burnt at the stake.
- - - Scotland almost totally Catholic, except for followers of John Wycliffe (the
Lollards) in the South West of Scotland.
1542
- - - James V dies.
- - - The baby Mary Stuart becomes Queen of Scots aged one week.
- - - The Reformation takes shape with preaching by George Wishart (martyred in
1546).
1547
- - - John Knox captured by the French and made a galley slave.
- - - Freed in 1547, preaches in England for seven years.
1554
- - - The Earl of Arran (who supported the Reformation), Regent for the child Mary,
hands over to the Catholic French queen mother, Mary of Guise.
1555- 6
- - - John Knox visits Scotland but returns to Geneva (comes back in 1559).
1557
- - - Protestant nobility draw up The First Covenant and become known as the Lords
of the Congregation.
- - - Alliance with the Protestant English government of Queen Elizabeth I in 1560.
- - - French military in Scotland expelled.
1560
- - - Knox urges Scottish Parliament to declare the Reformed Faith (Presbyterianism)
the national religion.
- - - Popery is condemned and the first General Assembly meets 20 December 1560.
1561
- - - Queen Mary returns and tries to revert to Catholicism.
1567
- - - Queen Mary forced to abdicate in favor of her infant son James VI.
- - - Government by Regents until 1578.
- - - Attempts made to introduce Bishops to the church.
1572-4
- - - Knox dies and the mantle of leadership falls on Andrew Melville upon his
return from the Continent (1574).
1578
- - - James VI, aged twelve is led by courtiers to resist Presbyterianism. He wishes
to be head of an Episcopal church with Bishops controlling it and the General
Assemblies.
1580
- - - Protestant leaders pledge support for the Reformed faith and discipline in a
National Covenant.
1584
- - - Royalist supporters in Parliament enact that no assemblies can take place
without the Kings consent, and all ministers must accept Bishops as their
superiors (repealed in 1592).
1596
- - - The National Covenant of 1580 is renewed and a General Assembly held at
Edinburgh (the last till 1638).
1603-18
- - - James VI of Scotland becomes King James I of England and comes under the
influence of English courtiers.
- - - Reintroduces Bishops and exiles leading Presbyterians.
1610-30
- - - The Plantation of Ulster, with thousands of Presbyterian Scots migrating to
the Province of Ulster, followed by a gradual build- - - up of ministers from
Scotland.
1618
- - - By the Articles of Perth tries to make Scottish worship the same as in
England.
1625-30
- - - Revivals gather strength in Ireland and Scotland led by the preaching of
Robert Blair in Ireland, John Livingstone and David Dickson in Scotland.
- - - Charles I succeeds to throne in 1625 and continues anti-Presbyterian policies
with the assistance of Archbishop Laud.
1632
- - - Bishops and Thomas Wentworth persecute Presbyterians in Ireland.
1636
- - - The "Eaglewing" sets sail for Massachusetts September 9, but is
forced back by extreme weather conditions November 3.
1637
- - - New form of service prepared by Laud rejected
Jenny Geddes said to have thrown a stool at the Bishop in St. Giles Church,
Edinburgh July 23.
1638
- - - The National Covenant renewed February 28 at Greyfriars Kirk.
- - - King Charles forced to allow a General Assembly which removes the Bishops and
reasserts an independent Presbyterianism.
1639-40
- - - King Charles tries to seize control by force but is defeated in both the First
and the Second Bishops' Wars.
1641
- - - Rebellion in Ireland by the native Irish, the Irish Killing Time.
- - - Thousands murdered; very many Protestants flee to Scotland.
- - - General Munro returns with 10,000 Scottish troops in 1642.
- - - Skirmishes rumble on till 1647.
1642-3
- - - Civil War in England.
- - - English Puritans and Scottish Presbyterians form an alliance and sign the
Solemn League and Covenant in 1643.
1645
- - - Charles defeated at Naseby but there is disagreement about the treatment of
the King that breaks the alliance (the Scots have no objection to the King
provided he doesn't meddle in the church and its affairs).
1648
- - - Second Civil War in which the Scots fight for the King.
- - - They resent his execution in 1649 and declare his son the lawful heir to the
throne.
1650
- - - Cromwell defeats Scots at Dunbar.
1651
- - - Charles II crowned at Scone.
- - - Cromwell again victor at Worcester and becomes overlord of the three kingdoms
for the next nine years.
- - - Presbyterians enjoy reasonable tolerance.
1658
- - - Cromwell dies.
- - - His son Richard takes over but is not successful.
1660
- - - Restoration of Charles II rejects the former allegiance to the Presbyterians
and the Covenant.
- - - He assumes the role of head of the church and reintroduces the Bishops.
1661
- - - Over 60 Presbyterian ministers ejected from their churches in Ireland.
1662-5
- - - Over 300 ministers thrown out of their churches and begin preaching in the
open field called "coventicles".
- - - Replaced by government appointed curates.
- - - Attendance at church enforced with fines and military force.
1666
- - - The Pentland Rising by Presbyterians in Galloway and a march on Edinburgh
routed at Rullion Green November 28.
- - - First show of organized militancy by the Covenanters.
- - - Excuse for greater persecution.
1669
- - - An Act of Indulgence offers some relief but splits the Presbyterians into the
"indulged" and the "not indulged".
1670
- - - Conventicles banned and deemed treasonable, death penalty for ministers
preaching at them.
- - - Conventicles start to be armed.
1679
- - - Another rising in Galloway results a minor battle at Drumclog on June 1 and
victory for the Covenanters. But they fail to take advantage of the moment and
do not seize Glasgow.
- - - Bickering and stubbornness by their leader, Sir Robert Hamilton, splits the
forces who lose the help of the "indulged", and are beaten at Bothwell
Brig on June 22.
1680
- - - The extremists begin to hold that by breaking his oaths made at Scone in 1651
the King had forfeited all rights to civil obedience.
- - - Led by Richard Cameron and Donald Cargill armed resistance becomes a tactic.
- - - Declaration of Sanquhar by Cameron June 22.
1684-5
- - - The Killing Time.
- - - Suspects executed on the spot without trial.
- - - Some 31 executions in Edinburgh and 113 known executions in the countryside.
- - - 211 were drowned while being transported to the Colonies in the wreck of the
Crown, off of Orkney.
- - - King Charles II dies February 1685 and succeeded by his Catholic brother,
James II.
1685-8
- - - James Renwick continues holding conventicles but captured and executed in
Edinburgh February 17, 1688
- - - George Wood, a 16 year old lad from Sorn, the last Covenanter to be executed
- - -
shot in June 1688 by trooper John Reid.
- - - Glorious Revolution in England leads to James II fleeing and Protestant
William of Orange and Mary succeeding to the throne.
- - - Presbyterianism and the Church of Scotland has its liberty and freedom
restored.
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