Articles of Leith
Encyclopedia
The Articles of Leith were the terms of truce drawn up between the Protestant Lords of the Congregation
and Mary of Guise
, Regent of Scotland and signed on 25 July 1559. This negotiation was a step in the conflict that led to the Scottish Reformation
. Although its immediate effect was the withdrawal of Protestant forces from Edinburgh, subsequent disputes over the content and observance of the treaty fuelled the crisis in Scotland.
, the Protestant Lords had taken up arms against Mary of Guise and the French troops that supported her rule in Scotland. The Lords occupied Edinburgh in June 1559, taking Holyroodhouse and seizing the coining equipment from the Scottish Mint. News came that Henry II of France
had died, which cheered John Knox
who supposed this might halt further French intervention. However, a Catholic army approached from Dunbar
, and the Captain of Edinburgh Castle
, Lord Erskine
, declared for the Queen Regent. The French troops moved into Leith
, which surrendered without resistance, in part due to the persuasion of Robert Logan of Restalrig
. The Lords of the Congregation marshalled themselves at Craigengalt. Under these circumstances, they were compelled to seek terms and withdraw from Edinburgh, rather than fight a battle they could not win. The resultant articles of truce were drafted at Leith Links
on 24 July 1559.
The next day the Earls of Argyll
and Glencairn
, Lord James
and other Lords of the Congregation met Guise's supporters, the Duke of Châtellerault and Earl of Huntly
at the 'Quarrel Holes
' between Edinburgh and Leith, and they promised to withdraw their support for Guise if she broke any point of the articles.
The articles were subscribed by the Lords on 25 July 1559, and included important concessions to their religion. Henri Cleutin
, the Earl of Huntly and the Duke of Châtellerault signed on behalf of Mary of Guise. William Kirkcaldy of Grange
sent news of the agreement to James Croft
at Berwick-upon-Tweed
.
on 10 January 1560. In summary:
As early as 28 August 1559, Guise made a public proclamation that she had not violated the truce and rumours that she had breached the appointment were the work of the Congregation. In respect of the sixth article of the agreement, the Duke, Huntly, and the Provost of Edinburgh, Lord Seton
, could not persuade the town to allow the Catholic Mass
in St Giles.
The congregation continued to gain support; Châtellerault changed sides after his son, the Earl of Arran
was smuggled home from France by English agents. Sir James Croft had told Scottish agents when the Leith agreement was made that Elizabeth I of England
could not deal with a 'confused multitude' and Arran's presence was required to lay a foundation. With the former Regent as its figurehead the Congregation was able to broker English military support by the Treaty of Berwick
. After the death of Guise, and the conclusion of the Siege of Leith
, Scotland became a Protestant country.
Lords of the Congregation
The Lords of the Congregation were a group of Protestant Scottish nobles who in the mid-16th century favoured reformation of the church along Protestant principles and a Scottish-English alliance.- Historical events :...
and Mary of Guise
Mary of Guise
Mary of Guise was a queen consort of Scotland as the second spouse of King James V. She was the mother of Mary, Queen of Scots, and served as regent of Scotland in her daughter's name from 1554 to 1560...
, Regent of Scotland and signed on 25 July 1559. This negotiation was a step in the conflict that led to the Scottish Reformation
Scottish Reformation
The Scottish Reformation was Scotland's formal break with the Papacy in 1560, and the events surrounding this. It was part of the wider European Protestant Reformation; and in Scotland's case culminated ecclesiastically in the re-establishment of the church along Reformed lines, and politically in...
. Although its immediate effect was the withdrawal of Protestant forces from Edinburgh, subsequent disputes over the content and observance of the treaty fuelled the crisis in Scotland.
The Reformation crisis
Following religious riots which began at PerthPerth, Scotland
Perth is a town and former city and royal burgh in central Scotland. Located on the banks of the River Tay, it is the administrative centre of Perth and Kinross council area and the historic county town of Perthshire...
, the Protestant Lords had taken up arms against Mary of Guise and the French troops that supported her rule in Scotland. The Lords occupied Edinburgh in June 1559, taking Holyroodhouse and seizing the coining equipment from the Scottish Mint. News came that Henry II of France
Henry II of France
Henry II was King of France from 31 March 1547 until his death in 1559.-Early years:Henry was born in the royal Château de Saint-Germain-en-Laye, near Paris, the son of Francis I and Claude, Duchess of Brittany .His father was captured at the Battle of Pavia in 1525 by his sworn enemy,...
had died, which cheered John Knox
John Knox
John Knox was a Scottish clergyman and a leader of the Protestant Reformation who brought reformation to the church in Scotland. He was educated at the University of St Andrews or possibly the University of Glasgow and was ordained to the Catholic priesthood in 1536...
who supposed this might halt further French intervention. However, a Catholic army approached from Dunbar
Dunbar
Dunbar is a town in East Lothian on the southeast coast of Scotland, approximately 28 miles east of Edinburgh and 28 miles from the English Border at Berwick-upon-Tweed....
, and the Captain of Edinburgh Castle
Edinburgh Castle
Edinburgh Castle is a fortress which dominates the skyline of the city of Edinburgh, Scotland, from its position atop the volcanic Castle Rock. Human habitation of the site is dated back as far as the 9th century BC, although the nature of early settlement is unclear...
, Lord Erskine
John Erskine, 17th Earl of Mar
John Erskine, 17th Earl of Mar , regent of Scotland, was a son of John, 5th Lord Erskine, who was guardian of King James V, and afterwards of Mary, Queen of Scots....
, declared for the Queen Regent. The French troops moved into Leith
Leith
-South Leith v. North Leith:Up until the late 16th century Leith , comprised two separate towns on either side of the river....
, which surrendered without resistance, in part due to the persuasion of Robert Logan of Restalrig
Restalrig
Restalrig is a suburb of Edinburgh, Scotland. It is located east of the city centre, west of the A199 road, and to the east of Lochend, with which it overlaps. Restalrig Road is the main route through the area, running from London Road at Jock's Lodge, to Leith Links at the south edge of...
. The Lords of the Congregation marshalled themselves at Craigengalt. Under these circumstances, they were compelled to seek terms and withdraw from Edinburgh, rather than fight a battle they could not win. The resultant articles of truce were drafted at Leith Links
Leith Links
Leith Links is the principal open space within Leith, the harbour district of Edinburgh, Scotland. This public park extends to . In its current form it is largely flat and bordered by mature trees. Historically it was an undulating area of former sand-dunes utilised as a golf links.-Current...
on 24 July 1559.
The next day the Earls of Argyll
Archibald Campbell, 5th Earl of Argyll
Archibald Campbell, 5th Earl of Argyll was one of the leading figures in the politics of Scotland during the reign of Mary, Queen of Scots, and the early part of that of James VI.-Biography:...
and Glencairn
Alexander Cunningham, 5th Earl of Glencairn
Alexander Cunningham, 5th Earl of Glencairn was Scottish nobleman and Protestant reformer, prominent in the Scottish Reformation.-Biography:...
, Lord James
James Stewart, 1st Earl of Moray
James Stewart, 1st Earl of Moray , a member of the House of Stewart as the illegitimate son of King James V, was Regent of Scotland for his nephew, the infant King James VI of Scotland, from 1567 until his assassination in 1570...
and other Lords of the Congregation met Guise's supporters, the Duke of Châtellerault and Earl of Huntly
George Gordon, 4th Earl of Huntly
George Gordon, 4th Earl of Huntly was a Scottish nobleman.-Biography:He was the son of John Gordon, Lord Gordon, and Margaret Stewart, daughter of James IV. George Gordon inherited his earldom and estates in 1524 at age 10...
at the 'Quarrel Holes
Easter Road, Edinburgh
Easter Road is a main road in Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland. It links Leith with Abbeyhill. It is so called as it was originally the 'Easter Road to Leith', ie the road from Edinburgh to Leith which was furthest East. There is no connection to Easter the Christian festival...
' between Edinburgh and Leith, and they promised to withdraw their support for Guise if she broke any point of the articles.
The articles were subscribed by the Lords on 25 July 1559, and included important concessions to their religion. Henri Cleutin
Henri Cleutin
Henri Cleutin, seigneur d'Oisel et de Villeparis , was the representative of France in Scotland from 1546 to 1560, and a Gentleman of the Chamber of the King of France.-Rough Wooing to Reformation:...
, the Earl of Huntly and the Duke of Châtellerault signed on behalf of Mary of Guise. William Kirkcaldy of Grange
William Kirkcaldy of Grange
Sir William Kirkcaldy of Grange , Scottish politician and general, was the eldest son of Sir James Kirkcaldy of Grange , a member of an old Fife family...
sent news of the agreement to James Croft
James Croft
Sir James Croft PC , Lord Deputy of Ireland and MP for Herefordshire in the Parliament of England.He was born the second but eldest surviving son of Richard Croft of Croft Castle, Herefordshire, inheriting the estate on his father's death in 1562.He was elected seven times as knight of the shire ...
at Berwick-upon-Tweed
Berwick-upon-Tweed
Berwick-upon-Tweed or simply Berwick is a town in the county of Northumberland and is the northernmost town in England, on the east coast at the mouth of the River Tweed. It is situated 2.5 miles south of the Scottish border....
.
Articles of the appointment
A copy of the articles written in French as agreed with Mary of Guise on 23 July 1559 survives. She promised a review of the religious settlement and church property in the Parliament of ScotlandParliament of Scotland
The Parliament of Scotland, officially the Estates of Parliament, was the legislature of the Kingdom of Scotland. The unicameral parliament of Scotland is first found on record during the early 13th century, with the first meeting for which a primary source survives at...
on 10 January 1560. In summary:
- The Lords will depart from Edinburgh as the Queen Regent pleases.
- The Lords will return the coining-irons seized from the mint (to Master Robert Richardson), and render Holyrood PalaceHolyrood PalaceThe Palace of Holyroodhouse, commonly referred to as Holyrood Palace, is the official residence of the monarch in Scotland. The palace stands at the bottom of the Royal Mile in Edinburgh, at the opposite end to Edinburgh Castle...
to its 'concierge,' (Master James Balfour), leaving Lord RuthvenPatrick Ruthven, 3rd Lord RuthvenPatrick Ruthven, 3rd Lord Ruthven , played an important part in the political intrigues of the 16th century. He succeeded to the lordship in December 1552...
and the Laird of Pitarro as hostages. - The Lords will give all due obedience to Mary, Queen of Scots, Francis II of FranceFrancis II of FranceFrancis II was aged 15 when he succeeded to the throne of France after the accidental death of his father, King Henry II, in 1559. He reigned for 18 months before he died in December 1560...
and the Queen Regent, and the law, as before, except in the matter of religion. - The Lords will not molest churchmen, or their property and appointments.
- The Lords will use no force against churches or monasteries.
- Edinburgh shall choose and use its own form of religion, the inhabitants shall follow their conscience till 10 January.
- The Queen Regent shall not molest Protestant preachers or their possessions. Each should live in private according to his conscience.
Aftermath
Although the Lords of the Congregation withdrew from Edinburgh to Stirling after the conclusion of the 'Leith Agreement,' it did not lead to six months of relative tranquillity until a parliament in January 1560. Instead, numbers of French troops arrived in support of the Regent. The Lords claimed that this was in contravention of an article of the Leith agreement that proscribed garrisons of soldiers in Edinburgh. However, French copies of the articles lack this specific item.As early as 28 August 1559, Guise made a public proclamation that she had not violated the truce and rumours that she had breached the appointment were the work of the Congregation. In respect of the sixth article of the agreement, the Duke, Huntly, and the Provost of Edinburgh, Lord Seton
George Seton, 7th Lord Seton
George Seton V, 7th Lord Seton was a Lord of the Parliament of Scotland, Master of the Household of Mary, Queen of Scots and Provost of Edinburgh. He was the eldest son of George Seton, 6th Lord Seton and Elizabeth Hay, a daughter of John Hay, 3rd Lord Hay of Yester...
, could not persuade the town to allow the Catholic Mass
Mass (liturgy)
"Mass" is one of the names by which the sacrament of the Eucharist is called in the Roman Catholic Church: others are "Eucharist", the "Lord's Supper", the "Breaking of Bread", the "Eucharistic assembly ", the "memorial of the Lord's Passion and Resurrection", the "Holy Sacrifice", the "Holy and...
in St Giles.
The congregation continued to gain support; Châtellerault changed sides after his son, the Earl of Arran
James Hamilton, 3rd Earl of Arran
James Hamilton, 3rd Earl of Arran was a Scottish nobleman and soldier who fought against French troops during the Scottish Reformation....
was smuggled home from France by English agents. Sir James Croft had told Scottish agents when the Leith agreement was made that Elizabeth I of England
Elizabeth I of England
Elizabeth I was queen regnant of England and Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death. Sometimes called The Virgin Queen, Gloriana, or Good Queen Bess, Elizabeth was the fifth and last monarch of the Tudor dynasty...
could not deal with a 'confused multitude' and Arran's presence was required to lay a foundation. With the former Regent as its figurehead the Congregation was able to broker English military support by the Treaty of Berwick
Treaty of Berwick (1560)
The Treaty of Berwick was negotiated on 27 February 1560 at Berwick-upon-Tweed. It was an agreement made by the representative of Queen Elizabeth I of England, the Duke of Norfolk, and the Scottish Lords of the Congregation...
. After the death of Guise, and the conclusion of the Siege of Leith
Siege of Leith
The Siege of Leith ended a twelve year encampment of French troops at Leith, the port near Edinburgh, Scotland. The French troops arrived by invitation in 1548 and left in 1560 after the English arrived to assist in removing them from Scotland...
, Scotland became a Protestant country.