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Archiver > SCOTLAND-GENWEB > 1998-07 > 0899403120


From: "Dan Morgan" <>
Subject: Re: covenanters
Date: Thu, 2 Jul 1998 14:12:00 -0400


No doubt there's someone out there who is more of an expert on this than I
am, but I was just reading about the covenanters last night, so here goes .
. .

In the late 1630s, King Charles began to appoint bishops in Scotland. The
presbyterian clergy, and their lay supporters, were much opposed to this.
A covenant was signed in protest (hence the name "covenanters"). The
dispute eventually led to war between the covenanters and the supporters of
the king.

This all took place at the same time as the English civil war between the
English parliament and the king -- Cromwell and all that.

King Charles lost (his head). But the monarchy was eventually restored,
and I suppose that at that point any identifiable covenanters would have
been considered traitors, hence the "shot, hunted, or sent to the
colonies".

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