The Bishops War - Religion in Scotland in the 17th century

Adolf Goebbels
Published on Mar 31, 2023
The Bishop's Wars of 1639 and 1640 were the first of the conflicts known as 1638 to 1651 Wars of the Three Kingdoms, which took place in Scotland, England and Ireland. Others include the Irish Confederate Wars, the First, Second and Third English Civil Wars and the Cromwellian Conquest of Ireland.

The wars arose in disputes over the governance of the Church of Scotland or church that began in the 1580s and came to a head when Charles I tried to impose uniform practices on the church and the Church of England in 1637. These were opposed by most Scots, who supported a Presbyterian church ruled by ministers and the elders and 1638 National Covenant promised to oppose such "innovations". Signatories became known as Covenanters.