The1689 Convention of Estates sat between 16 March 1689 and 5 June 1689 to determine the settlement of theScottish throne, following the deposition ofJames VII (II of England) following the Dutch invasion by "force of arms" by Prince William of Orange and his wife Mary (daughter of James II) in the "so called" English 1688Glorious Revolution. TheConvention of the Estates of Scotland a sister-institution toParliament of Scotland, comprising the three estates ofbishops,barons and representatives of the Scotsburghs.[1] Historically, it had been summoned by the king of Scots for the limited purpose of raising taxes, and could not pass other legislation.[1] Unlike the EnglishConvention Parliament of 1689, the 1689 Scottish Convention was also a contest for control of theChurch of Scotland or Kirk.
Scotland played no part in the landing and Dutch invasion by "force of arms" by Prince William of Orange and his wife Mary (daughter of James II) in England and there was little enthusiasm for William and Mary, by November 1688 only a tiny minority actively supported James.[2] Many of William of Orange's exile advisors were Scots, includingMelville,Argyll, his personal chaplain,William Carstares, andGilbert Burnet, his chief propagandist. News of James's flight led to celebrations and anti-Catholic riots in Edinburgh and Glasgow and on 7 January 1689, theScottish Privy Council asked William to take over, pending a Constitutional Convention to agree a settlement.[3]
In February, anEnglish Convention appointedWilliam of Orange and his wifeMary as joint monarchs of England. As James had not been present in the kingdom when he fled to France. The Scots had to proceed on a Scots Constitutional basis. In Scotland elections were held in March 1689 for a Scottish Convention; 'Conventions of the Estates of Scotland' were identical to Parliaments of Scotland in composition but only discussed specific issues, the previous one held in 1678 to approve taxes.[4] Of the 125 delegates elected, 75 were classed as Presbyterian, 50 as Episcopalian, making the Convention a contest over control of theChurch of Scotland, as well as the limits of royal authority.[5]
William's nominee, the3rd Duke of Hamilton, was elected President of the Constitutional Convention, although hisson remained loyal to James. Despite being a minority, the Episcopalians were hopeful of retaining control of the Kirk since William supported the retention of bishops.[6] However, on 12 March, Jameslanded in Ireland and on 16th, a Letter to the Convention was read out, demanding obedience and threatening punishment for non-compliance.[7]
Public anger at this meant some Episcopalians stopped attending the Convention, claiming to fear for their safety while others changed sides.[8] Tensions were high, with theDuke of Gordon holdingEdinburgh Castle for James andViscount Dundee recruiting Highland levies. This exaggerated the Presbyterian majority in the Convention which met behind closed doors guarded by its own troops.[9]
The English Parliament held James 'abandoned' his throne by fleeing from London to France; since the same argument could not be used in Scotland, the Convention argued he (Scots) "FOREFAULTED" (forfeited) it by his actions, listed in the Scots Articles of Grievances and "CLAIM of RIGHT" Act 1689. This was a fundamental change; if the Parliament of Scotland could decide James had "FOREFAULTED" (forfeited) his throne, Scotland's monarchs derived legitimacy from the Convention of the Estates of Scotland (later made a Parliament of Scotland), not God, ending in Scotland the principle ofdivine right of kings.[10]
The Scots throne was offered to Mary and William, who was granted regal power on the basis he held the thronede facto, by right of conquest.[11] In an attempt to preserve Episcopalianism, the Scottish bishops proposed Union with England but this was rejected by the English Parliament.[12] On 11 April, the Convention ended James' reign and adopted the Articles of Grievances andClaim of Right Act, making Parliament the primary legislative power in Scotland.[13]
On 11 May 1689, William and Mary accepted the Scottish throne and the Convention became a full Parliament on 5 June. The1689 Jacobite Rising highlighted the new regimes' reliance on Presbyterian support and led to the final expulsion of bishops from the Kirk in the 1690 Act of Settlement. The ending of Episcopacy isolated a significant part of the Scottish political class; in the 18th century,Nonjuring Episcopalians were a key support base of theScottish Jacobite movement.[14]
James and the Jacobites viewed the Convention as "illegal"[7] and argued that the declaration of forfeiture was not valid because the authority of a Scottish Convention of Estates was limited to revenue raising measures and the Convention had not been called by the rightful king.[1]
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