In the spring of 1638, crowds gathered at a kirkyard in Edinburgh to put their names to a document that defied the King of Great Britain himself. The National Covenant was a bold declaration that Scots would defend their Presbyterian church against royal interference – even at the cost of their lives. It launched the Covenanter movement and set Scotland, and ultimately all three of Charles I's kingdoms, on the road to civil war.
Key facts: the National Covenant
- Signed: From 28 February 1638, first at Greyfriars Kirk in Edinburgh
- Cause: Charles I's attempt to impose a new prayer book and bishops on the Scottish church
- Purpose: To defend Scotland's Presbyterian religion and resist royal interference
- Supporters: Known as Covenanters; copies were carried across Scotland for signing
- Key figures: Nobles such as Archibald Campbell, Marquis of Argyll
- Consequence: Led directly to the Bishops' Wars and the wider civil wars of the 1640s
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A king who pushed too far
Since the Reformation, Scotland had developed a strongly Presbyterian church, governed by ministers and elders rather than bishops appointed by the crown. King Charles I, who believed in the divine right of kings and favoured a more ceremonial, bishop-led worship, tried to bring the Scottish church into line. In 1637 he ordered the use of a new prayer book modelled on the English one. The reaction was explosive: when it was first read in St Giles' in Edinburgh, a riot broke out, and legend has it that a market-trader named Jenny Geddes hurled her stool at the minister's head.
The signing of the Covenant
Opposition crystallised into the National Covenant, drawn up by leading ministers and lawyers. On 28 February 1638 it was first signed at Greyfriars Kirk in Edinburgh, reportedly by great crowds, some adding their names in their own blood. Copies were then carried the length and breadth of the country, and Scots of every rank flocked to subscribe. The Covenant did not openly reject the king, but it firmly asserted that no monarch could override the religion and liberties of the Scottish people.
Clans and Covenant
The Covenanting cause divided the nobility. Among its most powerful champions was Archibald Campbell, Marquis of Argyll, chief of Clan Campbell, who became the political leader of the movement. Others who first signed would later change sides: James Graham, Marquis of Montrose, of Clan Graham, began as a Covenanter but became the king's most brilliant general, clashing with the Campbells at battles such as Inverlochy in 1645.
The road to war
Charles I could not accept such open defiance. His attempts to force the Scots back into obedience led directly to the Bishops' Wars of 1639–40 – conflicts he could not afford, which forced him to recall the English Parliament and helped ignite the British civil wars. The National Covenant had lit a fire that would burn across three kingdoms.
Frequently asked questions
What was the National Covenant?
It was a document signed from 1638 in which Scots pledged to defend their Presbyterian church against Charles I's religious changes.
Why was the National Covenant signed?
It was a response to Charles I imposing a new prayer book and bishops on the Scottish church, which many Scots saw as an attack on their religion and liberties.
Who were the Covenanters?
The Covenanters were the supporters of the National Covenant and the later Solemn League and Covenant, who fought to preserve Presbyterianism in Scotland.
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