Between 1639 and 1640, the Scottish Covenanters did what seemed impossible: they took on the King of Great Britain and won. The Bishops' Wars humbled Charles I, drained his treasury, and forced him to recall the English Parliament – setting in motion the chain of events that would lead to the English Civil War and, eventually, the king's execution. This is the story of how a religious quarrel in Scotland shook three kingdoms.
Key facts: the Bishops' Wars
- Dates: 1639 (First Bishops' War) and 1640 (Second Bishops' War)
- Cause: Charles I's attempt to crush the Scottish Covenanters and impose bishops on their church
- Scottish leaders: Covenanter commanders including the veteran general Alexander Leslie
- First war: Ended without major fighting in the Pacification of Berwick
- Second war: A Scottish victory; the Covenanters occupied Newcastle
- Result: Charles, bankrupt, was forced to recall the English Parliament
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From Covenant to war
After the signing of the National Covenant in 1638, Scotland was effectively in open defiance of its king. A general assembly of the Scottish church abolished bishops outright. Charles I, regarding this as rebellion, resolved to bring the Scots to heel by force. But he badly underestimated his northern kingdom.
The First Bishops' War, 1639
When Charles marched north in 1639, he found the Covenanters far better prepared than he was. Many Scottish soldiers were hardened veterans of the religious wars on the continent, led by the experienced Alexander Leslie. Faced with a confident, well-organised Scottish army, Charles chose not to risk battle and agreed to the Pacification of Berwick – a truce that settled nothing.
The Second Bishops' War, 1640
The peace collapsed within a year. In 1640 the Covenanters seized the initiative, invading the north of England. They defeated the king's forces and occupied Newcastle, seizing control of the coal supply on which London depended. Charles was forced into the humiliating Treaty of Ripon, which left the Scots in occupation of northern England – and required him to pay their army's costs.
The king brought low
The Bishops' Wars were a catastrophe for Charles I, above all financially. To raise the money to deal with the Scots, he had no choice but to summon the English Parliament, which he had ruled without for eleven years. That Parliament, full of his critics, seized the chance to challenge his power. The resulting confrontation spiralled into the English Civil War, and ultimately to Charles's trial and execution in 1649. Scotland's stand for its church had, quite unintentionally, helped topple a monarchy.
The wars also propelled to prominence soldiers and leaders who would dominate the bloody decade ahead, from the Marquis of Argyll to the king's champion, the Marquis of Montrose.
Frequently asked questions
What were the Bishops' Wars?
They were two short wars in 1639 and 1640 between Charles I and the Scottish Covenanters over the king's attempt to control the Scottish church.
Who won the Bishops' Wars?
The Covenanters. In 1640 they defeated the king's forces and occupied northern England, forcing Charles to terms.
Why were the Bishops' Wars important?
They bankrupted Charles I and forced him to recall the English Parliament, helping to trigger the English Civil War.
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