Restoration (Scotland)
Encyclopedia
The Restoration of the monarchy began in 1660 when the English, Scottish and Irish monarchies were all restored under Charles II
after the government of occupation that followed the Wars of the Three Kingdoms
. The term Restoration may apply both to the actual event by which the monarchy was restored, and to the period immediately following the event.
which had been forced upon Scotland by Oliver Cromwell
quickly began to crumble. The occupying forces in Scotland lay in the hands of General Monck
. He engaged in discussion with the royal court during the summer of 1659 but made no promises, particularly after the failure of Booth
's revolt.
Monck indicated his support of parliament rather than the new radicals in the army in England. Distrusting Monck the English Committee of Safety
sent General Lambert
to negotiate, Lambert camped at Newcastle
but his army began to desert. Officers loyal to Monck sezied Dublin Castle in December 1659 strengthening Monck's hand. On 24 December he ceased negotiations with Lambert. On the 1 January 1660 Monck crossed the River Tweed
at the village of Coldstream
and marched on London. Lambert's forces vanished before him and Monck occupied London on 3 February 1660. There, Monck would oversee the transformation of the republican parliament into the English Convention Parliament. In March 1660 Monck entered into discussion with Charles II to ensure his return to all his thrones.
Charles II bestowed on Monck the title Duke of Albermarle in gratitude for his part in the Restoration.
Charles was proclaimed King again on 14 May 1660. He was not crowned having being previously crowned at Scone in 1651. The Restoration "presented an occasion of univeral celebration and rejoicing throughout Scotland".
Charles II summoned his parliament on 1 January 1661, which began to undo all that been forced on his father Charles I of Scotland
. The Rescissory Act 1661
made all legislation back to 1633 'void and null'.
In 1661, 29 May
was made a public holiday.
The Earl of Middleton
and the 9th Earl of Glencairn were initially the main political figures in the Restoration. In 1663 The Earl of Lauderdale
was made Secretary of State and rapidly became the predominant political figure of the Restoraton period.
After Monck's death in 1670 his regiment was renamed the Coldstream Guards
.
1 January 1637 and before 1 September 1660, during what the act calls "the late troubles" (the Wars of the Three Kingdoms
and the Interregnum).
The Act was structured in a similar way to the English Indemnity and Oblivion Act 1660, it legislated for a general pardon with exceptions, but (like Cromwell's Act of Grace
) it contained many more exceptions than the English act. The act did not reverse the provisions of any previous act passed by the same Scottish Parliament or the provisions of the Committee of Estates passed since August 1660. It explicitly mentions the of forfeitures of "Archibald Campbell
, late marquis of Argyll, Archibald Johnston
, sometime called Sir Archibald Johnston of Wariston, John Swinton, sometime called of Swinton, James Guthrie, William Govan, John Home and William Dundas, James Campbell, sometime called of Ardkinglas and James Campbell, sometime called of Orinsay". An additional act called the Act containing some exceptions from the act of indemnity was passed that included heavy fines for about 700 former adherents to the Covenant. The exceptions act specified that if an excluded person did not pay the fines by the date specified he (they were all men) would lose the benefit of the general pardon, but on timely payment he would "enjoy the benefit of his majesty's pardon and indemnity to all intents and purposes".
A few members of the previous regime were tried and found guilty of treason. Some were executed: Archibald Campbell (8th Earl of Argyll, beheaded May 27, 1661), James Guthrie (c.1612 – 1 June 1661) hanged along side Captain William Govan (died 1 June 1661), and Archibald Johnston (Lord Warriston hanged 22 July 1663). John Swinton (1621?–1679) was condemned to forfeiture and imprisonment in Edinburgh Castle, where he remained for some years before being released.. In 1661 John Home of Kellow had is estates sequestrated for being with the English army against the King's army at the battle of Worcester
in 1651. After the Glorious Revolution
of 1688 the estates were restored to his son Gorge.
under the Treaty of Breda (1650)
. However, Charles instructed his privy council to restore the Bishops, and a proclamation was issued in September 1661; during the parliamentary session of 1662 the Church of Scotland
was restored as the national Church and all office-holders were required to renounced the Covenant. Whilst the King would later grant two Indulgences, giving some measure of religious toleration, it was followed by the Conventicle Act 1670 which was aimed at the resisting Presbyterians. Charles later brought an armed force of Scottish Highlanders to bear against the Presbyterians in 1678, but with little long-term effect.
Charles II of England
Charles II was monarch of the three kingdoms of England, Scotland, and Ireland.Charles II's father, King Charles I, was executed at Whitehall on 30 January 1649, at the climax of the English Civil War...
after the government of occupation that followed the Wars of the Three Kingdoms
Wars of the Three Kingdoms
The Wars of the Three Kingdoms formed an intertwined series of conflicts that took place in England, Ireland, and Scotland between 1639 and 1651 after these three countries had come under the "Personal Rule" of the same monarch...
. The term Restoration may apply both to the actual event by which the monarchy was restored, and to the period immediately following the event.
End of the republic
With the collapse of the The Protectorate in England during May 1659 the republicCommonwealth of England
The Commonwealth of England was the republic which ruled first England, and then Ireland and Scotland from 1649 to 1660. Between 1653–1659 it was known as the Commonwealth of England, Scotland and Ireland...
which had been forced upon Scotland by Oliver Cromwell
Oliver Cromwell
Oliver Cromwell was an English military and political leader who overthrew the English monarchy and temporarily turned England into a republican Commonwealth, and served as Lord Protector of England, Scotland, and Ireland....
quickly began to crumble. The occupying forces in Scotland lay in the hands of General Monck
George Monck, 1st Duke of Albemarle
George Monck, 1st Duke of Albemarle, KG was an English soldier and politician and a key figure in the restoration of Charles II.-Early life and career:...
. He engaged in discussion with the royal court during the summer of 1659 but made no promises, particularly after the failure of Booth
George Booth, 1st Baron Delamer
George Booth, 1st Baron Delamer , known as Sir George Booth, 2nd Baronet, from 1652 to 1661, was an English peer.-Civil War:...
's revolt.
Monck indicated his support of parliament rather than the new radicals in the army in England. Distrusting Monck the English Committee of Safety
English Committee of Safety
The Committee of Safety, established by the Parliamentarians in July 1642, was the first of a number of successive committees set up to oversee the English Civil War against King Charles I, and the Interregnum.-1642–1644:...
sent General Lambert
John Lambert (general)
John Lambert was an English Parliamentary general and politician. He fought during the English Civil War and then in Oliver Cromwell's Scottish campaign , becoming thereafter active in civilian politics until his dismissal by Cromwell in 1657...
to negotiate, Lambert camped at Newcastle
Newcastle upon Tyne
Newcastle upon Tyne is a city and metropolitan borough of Tyne and Wear, in North East England. Historically a part of Northumberland, it is situated on the north bank of the River Tyne...
but his army began to desert. Officers loyal to Monck sezied Dublin Castle in December 1659 strengthening Monck's hand. On 24 December he ceased negotiations with Lambert. On the 1 January 1660 Monck crossed the River Tweed
River Tweed
The River Tweed, or Tweed Water, is long and flows primarily through the Borders region of Great Britain. It rises on Tweedsmuir at Tweed's Well near where the Clyde, draining northwest, and the Annan draining south also rise. "Annan, Tweed and Clyde rise oot the ae hillside" as the Border saying...
at the village of Coldstream
Coldstream
Coldstream is a small town in the Borders district of Scotland. It lies on the north bank of the River Tweed in Berwickshire, while Northumberland in England lies to the south bank, with Cornhill-on-Tweed the nearest village...
and marched on London. Lambert's forces vanished before him and Monck occupied London on 3 February 1660. There, Monck would oversee the transformation of the republican parliament into the English Convention Parliament. In March 1660 Monck entered into discussion with Charles II to ensure his return to all his thrones.
Charles II bestowed on Monck the title Duke of Albermarle in gratitude for his part in the Restoration.
Return of Charles II
Charles II summoned his parliament on 1 January 1661, which began to undo all that been forced on his father Charles I of Scotland
Charles I of England
Charles I was King of England, King of Scotland, and King of Ireland from 27 March 1625 until his execution in 1649. Charles engaged in a struggle for power with the Parliament of England, attempting to obtain royal revenue whilst Parliament sought to curb his Royal prerogative which Charles...
. The Rescissory Act 1661
Rescissory Act 1661
The Rescissory Act restoring Episcopacy, 1661 passed on the March 28, 1661 in the Scottish Parliament. At one stroke, it annulled the legislation of the last twenty years, covering the time of the Commonwealth and Civil wars. This Act virtually made return to Episcopacy, so that monarchy and...
made all legislation back to 1633 'void and null'.
In 1661, 29 May
Oak Apple Day
Oak Apple Day or Royal Oak Day was a holiday celebrated in England on 29 May to commemorate the restoration of the English monarchy, in May 1660...
was made a public holiday.
The Earl of Middleton
John Middleton, 1st Earl of Middleton
John Middleton, 1st Earl of Middleton was a Scottish army officer, who belonged to a Kincardineshire family which had held lands at Middleton since the 12th century....
and the 9th Earl of Glencairn were initially the main political figures in the Restoration. In 1663 The Earl of Lauderdale
John Maitland, 1st Duke of Lauderdale
Sir John Maitland, 1st Duke and 2nd Earl of Lauderdale, 3rd Lord Thirlestane KG PC , was a Scottish politician, and leader within the Cabal Ministry.-Background:...
was made Secretary of State and rapidly became the predominant political figure of the Restoraton period.
After Monck's death in 1670 his regiment was renamed the Coldstream Guards
Coldstream Guards
Her Majesty's Coldstream Regiment of Foot Guards, also known officially as the Coldstream Guards , is a regiment of the British Army, part of the Guards Division or Household Division....
.
General pardon and exceptions
On the 9 September 1662 the Scottish parliament passed the Act of indemnity and oblivion. It was a general pardon for most types of crime that may have been committed by Scots, between1 January 1637 and before 1 September 1660, during what the act calls "the late troubles" (the Wars of the Three Kingdoms
Wars of the Three Kingdoms
The Wars of the Three Kingdoms formed an intertwined series of conflicts that took place in England, Ireland, and Scotland between 1639 and 1651 after these three countries had come under the "Personal Rule" of the same monarch...
and the Interregnum).
The Act was structured in a similar way to the English Indemnity and Oblivion Act 1660, it legislated for a general pardon with exceptions, but (like Cromwell's Act of Grace
Cromwell's Act of Grace
Cromwell's Act of Grace or more formally the Act of Pardon and Grace to the People of Scotland, was proclaimed at the mercat cross in Edinburgh on 5 May 1654...
) it contained many more exceptions than the English act. The act did not reverse the provisions of any previous act passed by the same Scottish Parliament or the provisions of the Committee of Estates passed since August 1660. It explicitly mentions the of forfeitures of "Archibald Campbell
Archibald Campbell, 1st Marquess of Argyll
Archibald Campbell, 1st Marquess of Argyll, 8th Earl of Argyll, chief of Clan Campbell, was the de facto head of government in Scotland during most of the conflict known as the Wars of the Three Kingdoms, also known as the British Civil War...
, late marquis of Argyll, Archibald Johnston
Archibald Johnston, Lord Warriston
Archibald Johnston, Lord Warriston was a Scottish judge and statesman.He assisted Alexander Henderson in framing the Scots National Covenant in 1638. Appointed a Procurator of the Kirk in the same year. In 1639 he assisted in negotiating pacification of Berwick, and the treaty of Ripon in 1640. He...
, sometime called Sir Archibald Johnston of Wariston, John Swinton, sometime called of Swinton, James Guthrie, William Govan, John Home and William Dundas, James Campbell, sometime called of Ardkinglas and James Campbell, sometime called of Orinsay". An additional act called the Act containing some exceptions from the act of indemnity was passed that included heavy fines for about 700 former adherents to the Covenant. The exceptions act specified that if an excluded person did not pay the fines by the date specified he (they were all men) would lose the benefit of the general pardon, but on timely payment he would "enjoy the benefit of his majesty's pardon and indemnity to all intents and purposes".
A few members of the previous regime were tried and found guilty of treason. Some were executed: Archibald Campbell (8th Earl of Argyll, beheaded May 27, 1661), James Guthrie (c.1612 – 1 June 1661) hanged along side Captain William Govan (died 1 June 1661), and Archibald Johnston (Lord Warriston hanged 22 July 1663). John Swinton (1621?–1679) was condemned to forfeiture and imprisonment in Edinburgh Castle, where he remained for some years before being released.. In 1661 John Home of Kellow had is estates sequestrated for being with the English army against the King's army at the battle of Worcester
Battle of Worcester
The Battle of Worcester took place on 3 September 1651 at Worcester, England and was the final battle of the English Civil War. Oliver Cromwell and the Parliamentarians defeated the Royalist, predominantly Scottish, forces of King Charles II...
in 1651. After the Glorious Revolution
Glorious Revolution
The Glorious Revolution, also called the Revolution of 1688, is the overthrow of King James II of England by a union of English Parliamentarians with the Dutch stadtholder William III of Orange-Nassau...
of 1688 the estates were restored to his son Gorge.
Religious Settlement
The most controversial aspect of the Restoration was the religious settlement. It had been hoped that Charles would implement a Presbyterian settlent, Charles having agreed to the Solemn League and CovenantSolemn League and Covenant
The Solemn League and Covenant was an agreement between the Scottish Covenanters and the leaders of the English Parliamentarians. It was agreed to in 1643, during the First English Civil War....
under the Treaty of Breda (1650)
Treaty of Breda (1650)
The Treaty of Breda was signed on 1 May 1650 between Charles II and the Scottish Covenanters during the Wars of the Three Kingdoms.-Background:...
. However, Charles instructed his privy council to restore the Bishops, and a proclamation was issued in September 1661; during the parliamentary session of 1662 the Church of Scotland
Scottish Episcopal Church
The Scottish Episcopal Church is a Christian church in Scotland, consisting of seven dioceses. Since the 17th century, it has had an identity distinct from the presbyterian Church of Scotland....
was restored as the national Church and all office-holders were required to renounced the Covenant. Whilst the King would later grant two Indulgences, giving some measure of religious toleration, it was followed by the Conventicle Act 1670 which was aimed at the resisting Presbyterians. Charles later brought an armed force of Scottish Highlanders to bear against the Presbyterians in 1678, but with little long-term effect.