1639 – 1660 Wars of the Three Kingdoms and Cromwell’s Occupation of Scotland

1639 – 1660 Wars of the Three Kingdoms and Cromwell’s Occupation of Scotland

In 1639 Scotland slipped into religious war. Supporters of the National Covenant (sometimes known as Covenanters) took up arms in defence of their beliefs. The response of Charles I to this crisis led to civil war across his three kingdoms – namely England, Ireland, and Scotland. For most of the 1640s the Scottish Parliament opposed the king. However, following Charles I’s execution in 1649, the Scottish government gave support to the Royalist side and backed the crowning of Charles II at Scone. This prompted the English Parliament and the military dictator Oliver Cromwell to invade Scotland. During the 1650s Fife was occupied by English forces. The invaders were resented and there were complaints that English soldiers did not behave properly in Fife churches. Despite these issues Presbyterian preaching and services continued in most places.

timelineoffifesreli

1639

egsr@st-andrews.ac.uk

Event

177

09/08/2021 12:00:04 pm

Sacred Landscapes of Fife

TEXT

1660

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