NationMaster - Encyclopedia: General Council (Scotland)

The parliament of Scotland, officially the Estates of Parliament, was the legislature of the independent Kingdom of Scotland. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (2288x1712, 711 KB) Parliament House in Edinburgh Image taken by Maccoinnich April 2005 File links The following pages link to this file: Kingdom of Scotland User:Maccoinnich Parliament House, Edinburgh Metadata This file contains additional information, probably added from the digital... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (2288x1712, 711 KB) Parliament House in Edinburgh Image taken by Maccoinnich April 2005 File links The following pages link to this file: Kingdom of Scotland User:Maccoinnich Parliament House, Edinburgh Metadata This file contains additional information, probably added from the digital... The Robert Reid designed facade to Parliament Square Parliament House in Edinburgh, Scotland was home to the Scottish Parliament, and is now used by the High Court of Justiciary and the Court of Session. ... Edinburgh (pronounced ; Scottish Gaelic: ) is the capital of Scotland and its second-largest city. ... The Acts of Union were a pair of Acts of Parliament passed in 1706 and 1707 (taking effect on 1 May 1707) by, respectively, the Parliament of England and the Parliament of Scotland. ... A legislature is a type of representative deliberative assembly with the power to adopt laws. ... Motto: Nemo me impune lacessit (Latin: No one strikes me with impunity) Capital EdinburghÂ¹ Language(s) Gaelic, Scots Government Monarchy King/Queen - 843-860 Kenneth I - 1587â€“1625 James VI - 1702-1714 Anne Legislature Parliament of Scotland History - United 843 - Union of the Crowns March 24, 1603 - Act of Union...

The unicameral parliament of Scotland is first found on record during the early thirteenth century, and the first meeting for which reliable evidence survives (referred to, like the contemporaneous Parliament of England, as a colloquium in the surviving Latin records) was at Kirkliston (a small town now on the outskirts of Edinburgh) in 1235, during the reign of Alexander II of Scotland^[1]. Unicameralism is the practice of having only one legislative or parliamentary chamber. ... States currently utilizing parliamentary systems are denoted in red and orangeâ€”the former being constitutional monarchies where authority is vested in a parliament, and the latter being parliamentary republics whose parliaments are effectively supreme over a separate head of state. ... Motto: (Latin for No one provokes me with impunity)1 Anthem: Multiple unofficial anthems Capital Edinburgh Largest city Glasgow Official language(s) English, Gaelic, Scots 2 Government Constitutional monarchy - Queen Queen Elizabeth II - Prime Minister of the UK Tony Blair MP - First Minister Jack McConnell MSP Unification - by Kenneth I... (12th century - 13th century - 14th century - other centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 13th century was that century which lasted from 1201 to 1300. ... English parliament in front of the king c. ... A colloquium is a type of expository lecture. ... Latin is an ancient Indo-European language originally spoken in Latium, the region immediately surrounding Rome. ... Kirkliston is a small village in the unitary authority area of Edinburgh, Scotland. ... Edinburgh (pronounced ; Scottish Gaelic: ) is the capital of Scotland and its second-largest city. ... Events Anglo-Norman invasion of Connacht St. ... Alexander II (August 24, 1198 â€“ July 6, 1249), king of Scotland, son of William I, the Lion, and of Ermengarde of Beaumont, was born at Haddington, East Lothian, in 1198, and succeeded to the kingdom on the death of his father on 4 December 1214. ...

The parliament, which is also referred to as the Estates of Scotland, the Three Estates (Scots: Thrie Estaitis), the Scots Parliament or the auld Scots Parliament (English: old), met until the Acts of Union merged the parliament of Scotland and the Parliament of England, creating the new Parliament of Great Britain in 1707. Scots refers to the Anglic varieties spoken in parts of Scotland. ... The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ... The Acts of Union were a pair of Acts of Parliament passed in 1706 and 1707 (taking effect on 1 May 1707) by, respectively, the Parliament of England and the Parliament of Scotland. ... The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative institution in the United Kingdom and British overseas territories (it alone has parliamentary sovereignty). ... Events January 1 - John V is crowned King of Portugal March 26 - The Acts of Union becomes law, making the separate Kingdoms of England and Scotland into one country, the Kingdom of Great Britain. ...

Long portrayed as a constitutionally defective body^[2] that acted merely as a rubber stamp for royal decisions, research during the last decade has found that the pre-Union parliament played an active role in Scottish affairs, and was sometimes a thorn in the side of the Scottish crown.^[3] This article is about vulcanized rubber stamps. ... Scotland is one of the four constituent nations of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. ... Categories: Possible copyright violations ...

1 The Three Estates
2 Origins
3 The Lords of the Articles
4 The Crown
5 History
6 Composition and procedure in the 17th century
- 6.1 Presidency of parliament
7 See also
8 Notes
9 Further reading
10 External links

The Three Estates

Further information: Estates of the realm

The members were collectively referred to as the Three Estates (Scots: Thrie Estaitis), or 'community of the realm' (tres communitates), composed of: In several different regions of medieval Europe, and continuing in some countries[] down to the present day, the estates of the realm were broad divisions of society, usually distinguishing nobility, clergy, and commoners; this last group was, in some regions, further divided into burghers (also known as bourgeoisie) and peasants. ... Scots refers to the Anglic varieties spoken in parts of Scotland. ...

the first estate of prelates (bishops and abbots)
the second estate of lairds (dukes, earls, parliamentary peers (after 1437) and lay tenants-in-chief)
the third estate of burgh commissioners (representatives chosen by the royal burghs)

From the 16th century, the second estate was reorganised by the selection of shire Commissioners: this has been argued to have created a fourth estate. During the 17th century, after the Union of the Crowns, a fifth estate of royal office holders (see Lord High Commissioner to the Parliament of Scotland) has also been identified. These latter identifications remain highly controversial among parliamentary historians. Regardless, the term used for the assembled members continued to be 'the Three Estates'. Look up prelate in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Two bishops assist at the Exhumation of Saint Hubert, who was a bishop too, at the Ã©glise Saint-Pierre in LiÃ¨ge. ... Abbots coat of arms The word abbot, meaning father, has been used as a Christian clerical title in various, mainly monastic, meanings. ... A lord is a male who has power and authority. ... For other uses, see Duke (disambiguation). ... For people, see Earl (given name) and Earl (surname). ... A Lord of Parliament is a member of the lowest rank of Scottish peerage, ranking below a viscount. ... This page is a candidate to be moved to Wiktionary. ... This article or section is in need of attention from an expert on the subject. ... A Royal Burgh is a type of Scottish burgh (town or city), used today for ceremonial purposes only. ... (15th century - 16th century - 17th century - more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 16th century was that century which lasted from 1501 to 1600. ... A Member of Parliament, or MP, is a representative elected by the voters of an electoral district to a parliament. ... (16th century - 17th century - 18th century - more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 17th century was that century which lasted from 1601-1700. ... The Union of Crowns refers to the accession to the thrones of England and Ireland of King James VI of Scotland in March 1603, following the death of his unmarried and childless cousin, Elizabeth I, the last monarch of the Tudor dynasty. ... As the Sovereigns personal representative Lord High Commissioners were appointed to the Parliament of Scotland between 1603 and 1707. ...

A Shire Commissioner was the closest equivalent of the English office of Member of Parliament, namely a commoner or member of the lower nobility. Because the parliament of Scotland was unicameral, all members sat in the same chamber, as opposed to the separate English House of Lords and House of Commons. Motto: (French for God and my right) Anthem: God Save the King/Queen Capital London (de facto) Largest city London Official language(s) English (de facto) Unification - by Athelstan AD 927 Area - Total 130,395 kmÂ² (1st in UK) 50,346 sq mi Population - 2006 est. ... A Member of Parliament, or MP, is a representative elected by the voters to a parliament. ... A commoner, in British law, is someone who is neither the Sovereign nor a noble. ... Many parliaments or other legislatures consist of two chambers: an elected lower house, and an upper house or Senate which may be appointed or elected by a different mechanism from the lower house. ... This article is about the British House of Lords. ... The House of Commons is the lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. ...

The Parliament also had University constituencies. The system was also adopted by the Parliament of England when James VI ascended to the English throne. It was believed that the universities were affected by the decisions of Parliament and ought therefore to have representation in it. This continued in the Parliament of Great Britain after 1707 and the Parliament of the United Kingdom until 1950; in the Republic of Ireland, constituencies for Trinity College, Dublin and the National University of Ireland still elect representatives — until 1937 these representatives were elected to an Dáil Éireann, subsequently to Seanad Éireann. A university constituency is a constituency, used in elections to a legislature, that represents a university rather than a geographical area. ... English parliament in front of the king c. ... James VI and I (James Stuart) (June 19, 1566 â€“ March 27, 1625) was King of Scots, King of England, and King of Ireland. ... The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative institution in the United Kingdom and British overseas territories (it alone has parliamentary sovereignty). ... The Acts of Union were a pair of Acts of Parliament passed in 1706 and 1707 (taking effect on 1 May 1707) by, respectively, the Parliament of England and the Parliament of Scotland. ... The Houses of Parliament, seen over Westminster Bridge The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative body in the United Kingdom and British overseas territories. ... 1950 (MCML) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will take you to calendar). ... Dublin University is a constituency in Ireland, which has been used to elect members of various legislative bodies including currently Seanad Ã‰ireann. ... National University of Ireland (NUI for short) is a parliamentary constituency in Ireland, through which graduates of the National University of Ireland have elected members of various legislative bodies including currently Seanad Ã‰ireann. ... Year 1937 (MCMXXXVII) was a common year starting on Friday (link will take you to calendar). ... The DÃ¡il Chamber DÃ¡il Ã‰ireann[1] is the lower house of the Oireachtas (parliament) of Ireland. ... The Seanad Chamber The Seanad meets in the former picture gallery in Leinster House. ...

Origins

From the time of Cináed I, the Scottish kingdom of Alba was ruled by chieftains and petty kings under the suzerainty of a High King, all offices being filled through selection by an assembly under a system known as tanistry which combined a hereditary element with the consent of those ruled. Usually the candidate was nominated by the current office holder on the approach of death, and his heir-elect was known as the tanist, from the Scottish Gaelic tanaiste: second. After Macbeth was overthrown by Máel Coluim III in 1057, under the influence of Norman settlers in Scotland, primogeniture was adopted as the means of succession in Scotland as in much of Western Europe. These early assemblies cannot be considered 'parliaments' in the later sense of the word, and were entirely separate from the later, Norman-influenced, institution. CinÃ¡ed mac AilpÃn (after 800â€“13 February 858), (anglicised Kenneth MacAlpin) was king of the Picts and, according to national myth, first king of Scots. ... Places where monarchies maintain rule appear in blue. ... Alba is the ancient and modern Gaelic name (IPA: ) for the country of Scotland (also Alba in Irish, and in Old Gaelic Albu). ... ... Suzerainty refers to a situation in which a region or people is a tributary to a more powerful entity which allows the tributary some limited domestic autonomy but controls its foreign affairs. ... A high king is a king who holds a position of seniority over a group of other kings. ... A deliberative assembly is an organization, comprised of members, that uses a parliamentary procedure for making decisions. ... Tanistry (Irish/Gaeilge TÃ inste;Scottish Gaelic: TÃ naisteachd) was the office of heir-apparent, or second-in-command, among the royal dynastys of Ireland and her offshoot nations. ... For the scientific journal Heredity see Heredity (journal) Heredity (the adjective is hereditary) is the transfer of characters from parent to offspring, either through their genes or through the social institution called inheritance (for example, a title of nobility is passed from individual to individual according to relevant customs and... // Scottish Gaelic (GÃ idhlig) is a member of the Goidelic branch of Celtic languages. ... Macbeth (Gaelic for Son of Life) c. ... MÃ¡el Coluim mac Donnchada (anglicised Malcolm III) (1030x1038â€“13 November 1093) was King of Scots. ... Events King Macbeth I of Scotland is killed in battle against Malcolm Canmore. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ...

The Scottish parliament evolved during the Middle Ages from the King's Council of Bishops and Earls. It is perhaps first identifiable as a parliament in 1235, described as a ‘colloquium’ and already with a political and judicial role. By the early fourteenth century, the attendance of knights and freeholders had become important, and from 1326 burgh commissioners attended. Consisting of The Three Estates; of clerics, lay tenants-in-chief and burgh commissioners sitting in a single chamber, the Scottish parliament acquired significant powers over particular issues. Most obviously it was needed for consent for taxation (although taxation was only raised irregularly in Scotland in the medieval period), but it also had a strong influence over justice, foreign policy, war, and all manner of other legislation, whether political, ecclesiastical, social or economic. Parliamentary business was also carried out by ‘sister’ institutions, before c. 1500 by General Council and thereafter by the Convention of Estates. These could carry out much business also dealt with by Parliament—taxation, legislation and policy-making—but lacked the ultimate authority of a full parliament.^[4] The Middle Ages formed the middle period in a traditional schematic division of European history into three ages: the classical civilization of Antiquity, the Middle Ages, and modern times, beginning with the Renaissance. ... Events Anglo-Norman invasion of Connacht St. ... (13th century - 14th century - 15th century - more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 14th century was that century which lasted from 1301 to 1400. ... The silver Anglia knight, commissioned as a trophy in 1850, intended to represent the Black Prince. ... Freehold is a term used in real estate or real property law, land held in fee simple, as opposed to leasehold, which is land which is leased. ... Events Change of emperor of the Ottoman Empire from Osman I (1299-1326) to Orhan I (1326-1359) Aradia de Toscano, is initiated into a Dianic cult of Italian Witchcraft (Stregheria), and discovers through a vision that she is the human incarnation of the goddess Aradia. ... A sign in Linlithgow, Scotland. ... A cleric is: A member of the clergy of a religion, especially one that has trained or ordained priests, preachers, or other religious professionals; or A member of a character class in Dungeons & Dragons and similar fantasy role-playing games. ... A tenant (from the Latin tenere, to hold), in legal contexts, holds real property by some form of title from a landlord. ... This article should be transwikied to wiktionary Ecclesiastical means pertaining to the Church (especially Christianity) as an organized body of believers and clergy, with a stress on its juridical and institutional structure. ... 1500 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... General Council can refer to: An Ecumenical council of the Christian Church, particular in Catholicism and Eastern Orthodox traditions. ... See also State (disambiguation) The States signifies, in different countries, the assembly of the (feudalistic) representatives of the estates of the realm, called together for purposes of legislation or deliberation. ...

The Lords of the Articles

From the early 1450s until 1690, a great deal of the legislative business of the Scottish Parliament was usually carried out by a parliamentary committee known as the ‘Lords of the Articles’. This was a committee chosen by the three estates to draft legislation which was then presented to the full assembly to be confirmed. In the past, historians have been particularly critical of this body, claiming that it quickly came to be dominated by royal nominees, thus undermining the power of the full assembly.^[5] Recent research suggests that this was far from always being the case. Indeed, in March 1482, the committee was taken over by men shortly to be involved in a coup d’etat against the King and his government. On other occasions the committee was so large that it could hardly have been easier to control than the full assembly. More generally, the committee was a pragmatic means to delegate the complicated drafting of acts to those members of parliament skilled in law and letters — not unlike a modern select committee of the UK parliament — while the right to confirm the act remained with the full assembly of three estates.^[6]

The Crown

At various points in its history, the Scottish Parliament was able to exert considerable influence over the Crown. This should not be viewed as a slow rise from parliamentary weakness in 1235 to strength in the seventeenth century, but rather a situation where in particular decades or sessions between the thirteenth and seventeenth century, parliament became particularly able to influence the Crown, while at other points that ability was more limited. As early as the reign of David II, parliament was able to prevent him pursuing his policy of a union of the crowns with England, while the fifteenth-century Stewart monarchs were consistently influenced by a prolonged period of parliamentary strength. Reverses to this situation have been argued to have occurred in the early sixteenth century and under James VI and Charles I, but in the seventeenth century, even after the Restoration, parliament was able to remove the clergy's right to attend in 1689 and abolish the Lords of the Articles in 1690, thereby limiting royal power. Parliament's strength was such that the Crown turned to corruption and political management to undermine its autonomy in the latter period. Nonetheless, the period from 1690 to 1707 was one in which political "parties" and alliances were formed within parliament in a maturing atmosphere of rigorous debate. The disputes over the English Act of Settlement 1701, the Scottish Act of Security, and the English Alien Act 1705 showed that both sides were prepared to take considered yet considerable risks in their relationships.^[7] James VI and I King of England, Scotland and Ireland James VI of Scotland and I of England (Charles James) (19 June 1566–27 March 1625) was a King who ruled over England, Scotland and Ireland, and was the first Sovereign to reign in the three realms simultaneously. ... Charles I King of England, Scotland and Ireland Charles I (19 November 1600 - 30 January 1649) was King of England, Scotland and Ireland from 27 March 1625, until his death. ... Events Louis XIV of France passed the Code Noir, allowing the full use of slaves in the French colonies. ... Events Giovanni Domenico Cassini observes differential rotation within Jupiters atmosphere. ... Events January 1 - John V is crowned King of Portugal March 26 - The Acts of Union becomes law, making the separate Kingdoms of England and Scotland into one country, the Kingdom of Great Britain. ... The Electress Sophia The Act of Settlement (12 & 13 Wm 3 c. ... The Scottish Act of Security was a response by the Scottish Parliament to the English Act of Settlement. ... For the US Alien Act of 1798, see Alien and Sedition Acts. ...

History

Parliament before 1400

Between 1235 and 1286, little can be told with certainty about Parliament's function, but it appears to have had a judicial and political role which was well established by the end of the century. With the death of Alexander III, Scotland found itself without an adult monarch, and in this situation, Parliament seems to have become more prominent as a means to give added legitimacy to the Council of Guardians who ran the country. By the reign of John Balliol (1292-96), Parliament was well established, and Balliol attempted to use it as a means to withstand the encroachments of his overlord, Edward I of England. With his deposition in 1296, Parliament temporarily became less prominent, but it was again held frequently by King Robert Bruce after 1309. During his reign some of the most important documents made by the King and community of the realm were made in Parliament — for instance the 1309–1310 Declaration of the Clergy — although the extent to which the 'community' was able to speak independently of the King is a matter of debate. Events Anglo-Norman invasion of Connacht St. ... Events Margaret I of Scotland became queen of Scotland, end of Canmore dynasty. ... Alexander III (September 4, 1241 â€“ March 19, 1286), King of Scots, also known as Alexander the Glorious, ranks as one of Scotlands greatest kings. ... John Balliol, the son of Devorguilla Balliol and John, 5th Baron de Balliol, was the king of Scotland from November 17, 1292-1296. ... Edward I (17 June 1239 â€“ 7 July 1307), popularly known as Longshanks[1] and the Hammer of the Scots,[2] achieved fame as the monarch who conquered Wales and who kept Scotland under English domination during his lifetime. ... Events March 30 - Edward I stormed Berwick-upon-Tweed, sacking the then Scottish border town with much bloodshed. ... Robert I, the Bruce, in a conjectural drawing Robert I, (Roibert a Briuis in medieval Gaelic, Raibeart Bruis in modern Scottish Gaelic and Robert de Brus or Robert de Bruys in Norman French), usually known in modern English today as Robert the Bruce (11 July 1274 â€“ 7 June 1329), was... Events August 15 - The city of Rhodes surrenders to the forces of the Knights of St. ...

By the reign of David II, the 'three estates' (a phrase that replaced 'community of the realm' at this time) in Parliament were certainly able to oppose the King when necessary. Most notably, David was repeatedly prevented from accepting an English succession to the throne by Parliament. During the reigns of Robert II and Robert III, Parliament appears to have been held less often, and royal power in that period also declined, but the institution returned to prominence, and arguably enjoyed its greatest period of power over the Crown after the return of James I from English captivity in 1424.^[8] David II (March 5, 1324 â€“ February 22, 1371) king of Scotland, son of King Robert the Bruce by his second wife, Elizabeth de Burgh (d. ... Robert the warrior and knight: the reverse side of Robert IIs Great Seal, enhanced as a 19th century steel engraving. ... Robert III (circa 1340 â€“ April 4, 1406), king of Scotland (reigned 1390 - 1406), the eldest son of King Robert II by his mistress, Elizabeth Mure, became legitimised with the formal marriage of his parents about 1349. ... James I (December 10, 1394 â€“ February 21, 1437) reigned as King of Scots from April 4, 1406 until February 21, 1437. ... Events August 17 - Battle of Verneuil - An English force under John, Duke of Bedford defeats a larger French army under the Duke of AlenÃ§on, John Stuart, and Earl Archibald of Douglas. ...

The fifteenth century

After 1424, Parliament was often willing to defy the King — it was far from being simply a ‘rubber stamp’ of royal decisions. During the fifteenth century, Parliament was called far more often than, for instance, the English Parliament — on average over once a year — a fact that both reflected and augmented its influence. It repeatedly opposed James I’s (1424–1437) requests for taxation to pay an English ransom in the 1420s, and was openly hostile to James III (1460–1488) in the 1470s and early 1480s. In 1431, Parliament granted a tax to James I for a campaign in the Highlands on the condition that it be kept in a locked chest under the keepership of figures deeply out of favour with the King. In 1436, there was even an attempt made to arrest the King 'in the name of the three estates'. Between October 1479 and March 1482, Parliament was conclusively out of the control of James III. It refused to forfeit his brother, the Duke of Albany, despite a royal siege of the Duke's castle, tried to prevent the King leading his army against the English (a powerful indication of the estates' lack of faith in their monarch), and appointed men to the Lords of the Articles and important offices who were shortly to remove the King from power. James IV (1488–1513) realised that Parliament could often create more problems than it solved, and avoided meetings after 1509. This was a trend seen in other European nations as monarchical power grew stronger—for instance England under Henry VII, France and some of the Spanish Cortes Generales.^[9] Events August 17 - Battle of Verneuil - An English force under John, Duke of Bedford defeats a larger French army under the Duke of AlenÃ§on, John Stuart, and Earl Archibald of Douglas. ... List of Parliaments of England is a list of the sittings of the Parliament of England, from the reign of Edward IV to 1707 with some earlier named parliaments. ... James I (December 10, 1394 â€“ February 21, 1437) reigned as King of Scots from April 4, 1406 until February 21, 1437. ... Events and Trends Categories: 1420s ... James III of Scotland (1451/ 1452 â€“ June 11, 1488), son of James II and Mary of Gueldres, created Duke of Rothesay at birth, king of Scotland from 1460 to 1488. ... Events and Trends battle of Avenches 1476 Prominent Persons Nicolaus Copernicus, Polish astronomer and mathematician A map of Europe in the 1470s. ... Centuries: 14th century - 15th century - 16th century Decades: 1430s 1440s 1450s 1460s 1470s - 1480s - 1490s 1500s 1510s 1520s 1530s Years: 1480 1481 1482 1483 1484 1485 1486 1487 1488 1489 Events and Trends Categories: 1480s ... Events February 21 - The trial of Joan of Arc March 3 - Eugenius IV becomes Pope May 30 - In Rouen, France, 19-year old Joan of Arc is burned at the stake. ... The Scottish Highlands are the mountainous regions of Scotland north and west of the Highland Boundary Fault. ... Events April - Paris is recaptured by the French End of the Hussite Wars in Bohemia. ... Events January 20 - Ferdinand II ascends the throne of Aragon and rules together with his wife Isabella, queen of Castile over most of the Iberian peninsula. ... Events Portuguese fortify Fort Elmina on the Gold Coast Tizoc rules the Aztecs Diogo Cão, a Portuguese navigator, becomes the first European to sail up the Congo. ... James III of Scotland (1451/ 1452 â€“ June 11, 1488), son of James II and Mary of Gueldres, created Duke of Rothesay at birth, king of Scotland from 1460 to 1488. ... Alexander Stewart, 1st Duke of Albany (c. ... James IV (March 17, 1473-September 9, 1513) - King of Scots from 1488 to 1513. ... 1509 was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Motto: (French for God and my right) Anthem: God Save the King/Queen Capital London (de facto) Largest city London Official language(s) English (de facto) Unification - by Athelstan AD 927 Area - Total 130,395 kmÂ² (1st in UK) 50,346 sq mi Population - 2006 est. ... Henry VII (January 28, 1457 â€“ April 21, 1509), King of England, Lord of Ireland (August 22, 1485 â€“ April 21, 1509), was the founder and first patriarch of the Tudor dynasty. ... The Cortes Generales (Spanish for General Courts) is the legislature of Spain. ...

The sixteenth century

During the sixteenth century, the composition of Parliament underwent a number of significant changes and it found itself sharing the stage with new national bodies. The emergence of the Convention of Royal Burghs as the ‘parliament’ of Scotland’s trading towns and the development of the Kirk’s General Assembly after the Reformation (1560) meant that rival representative assemblies could bring pressure to bear on parliament in specific areas. The Protestant Reformation was a movement which began in the 16th century as a series of attempts to reform the Roman Catholic Church, but ended in division and the establishment of new institutions, most importantly Lutheranism, Reformed churches, and Anabaptists. ...

Following the Reformation, laymen acquired the monasteries and those sitting as ‘abbots’ and ‘priors’ were now, effectively, part of the estate of nobles. The bishops continued to sit in Parliament regardless of whether they conformed to protestantism or not. This resulted in pressure from the Kirk to reform ecclesiastical representation in Parliament. Catholic clergy were excluded after 1567 but protestant bishops continued as the clerical estate until their abolition in 1638 when Parliament became an entirely lay assembly. An act of 1587 granted the lairds of each shire the right to send two commissioners to every parliament. These shire commissioners attended from 1592 onwards, although they shared one vote until 1640 when they secured a vote each. The number of burghs with the right to send commissioners to parliament increased quite markedly in the late sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries until, in the 1640s, they often constituted the largest single estate in Parliament.^[10] Protestantism is one of three main groups within Christianity, whose beliefs are centered on Jesus. ... Events The Duke of Alva arrives in the Netherlands with Spanish forces to suppress unrest there. ... Events March 29 - Swedish colonists establish first settlement in Delaware, called New Sweden. ... 1587 was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Sunday of the 10-day slower Julian calendar). ... Events January 30 - The death of Pope Innocent IX during the previous year had left the Papal throne vacant. ... Events December 1 - Portugal regains its independence from Spain and JoÃ£o IV of Portugal becomes king. ... Events and Trends The personal union of the crowns of Spain and Portugal ends due to a revolution in the latter (1640). ...

The seventeenth century

In the second half of the sixteenth century, Parliament began to legislate on more and more matters and there was a marked increase in the amount of legislation it produced. During the reign of James VI, the Lords of the Articles came more under the influence of the crown. By 1612, they sometimes seem to have been appointed by the Crown rather than Parliament, and as a result the independence of parliament was perceived by contemporaries to have been eroded. This decline was reversed in the Covenanting period (1638–1651), when the Scottish Parliament took control of the executive, effectively wresting sovereignty from the King and setting many precedents for the constitutional changes undertaken in England soon afterwards. The Covenanting regime fell in 1651 after Scotland was invaded by Oliver Cromwell whose Protectorate government imposed a brief Anglo-Scottish parliamentary union in 1657. James VI and I King of England, Scotland and Ireland James VI of Scotland and I of England (Charles James) (19 June 1566–27 March 1625) was a King who ruled over England, Scotland and Ireland, and was the first Sovereign to reign in the three realms simultaneously. ... Events January 20 - Mathias becomes Holy Roman Emperor. ... // Events January 1 - Charles II crowned King of Scotland in Scone. ... Oliver Cromwell (April 25, 1599â€“September 3, 1658) was an English military and political leader best known for making England a republic and leading the Commonwealth of England. ... Motto: PAX QUÃ†RITUR BELLO ( English: Peace is sought through war) Anthem: Multiple unofficial anthems Capital London Largest city London Official language(s) English Government Republic - Lord Protector Oliver Cromwell [of Commonwealth] - by Rump_Parliament AD May 19, 1649 Area - Total 130,395 kmÂ² 50,346 sq mi Currency Pound sterling... Events January 8 - Miles Sindercombe, would-be-assassin of Oliver Cromwell, and his group are captured in London February - Admiral Robert Blake defeats the Spanish West Indian Fleet in a battle over the seizure of Jamaica. ...

During this period, Parliament gained the only permanent home it ever had. King Charles I ordered the construction of Parliament Hall, which was completed in 1639. Charles I (19 November 1600 â€“ 30 January 1649) was King of England, Scotland and Ireland from 27 March 1625 until his execution in 1649. ... The Robert Reid designed facade to Parliament Square Parliament House in Edinburgh, Scotland was home to the Scottish Parliament, and is now used by the High Court of Justiciary and the Court of Session. ... Events January 14 - Connecticuts first constitution, the Fundamental Orders, is adopted. ...

The Scottish Parliament returned after the Restoration of Charles II to the throne in 1660. He renewed attempts to impose the Episcopalian form of church government on Scotland, provoking rebellions by Covenanters such as the Cameronians who were repressed in the "Killing Times" in attempts to contain the revolutionary enthusiasm of Presbyterianism. He was succeeded in 1685 by his Roman Catholic brother, James VII of Scotland & II of England, who continued at odds with Parliament for the simple reason that Parliament was by now comprised almost exclusively of those viscerally opposed, to the death, to both Roman Catholicism and Episcopalianism (called "prelacy"), as had been amply demonstrated by the brutal, unprovoked murder in 1679, and in front of his daughter, of Archbishop James Sharp, by a party of Cameronians, while he was crossing Magus Moor in a coach. In England and Scotland, King James attempted to grant religious toleration by means of his two Declarations of Indulgence, to permit freedom of worship to those not of the state religion, including Catholics and Protestant dissenters. For this act of toleration, which did away with most of the brutal Elizabethan Penal laws that led to a man being hanged, drawn and quartered simply for attending his own religion's services, James was opposed by those Whigs whose ancestors had gained from the rape of the monasteries at the Reformation and who feared any challenge to their wealth and power. They, together with some Tories, were determined to keep the Penal laws that punished non-attendance at the services of the state church and which required oaths for all in public office that were deeply offensive to the consciences of those not of the state religion. Seven Anglican bishops refused to read the Declaration from their pulpits and this sparked a controversy which was ended by a clique of seven men inviting William of Orange to invade. Charles II (29 May 1630 â€“ 6 February 1685) was the King of England, King of Scots, and King of Ireland from 30 January 1649 (de jure) or 29 May 1660 (de facto) until his death. ... // Events January 1 - Colonel George Monck with his regiment crosses from Scotland to England at the village of Coldstream and begins advance towards London in support of English Restoration. ... The word Episcopal is derived from the Greek επισκοπος epískopos, which literally means overseer; the word however is used in religious terms to mean bishop. ... James VI of Scotland (James I of England) was opposed by the Covenanters in his attempt to bring the Anglican Church into Scotland The Covenanters formed an important movement in the religion and politics of Scotland in the 17th century. ... Cameronian was a name given to a section of the Scottish Covenanters who followed the teachings of Richard Cameron, and who were composed prinicpally of those who signed the Sanquhar Declaration in 1680. ... Presbyterianism is part of the Reformed churches family of denominations of Christian Protestantism based on the teachings of John Calvin which traces its institutional roots to the Scottish Reformation, especially as led by John Knox. ... Events February 6 - James Stuart, Duke of York becomes King James II of England and Ireland and King James VII of Scotland. ... The Roman Catholic Church, most often spoken of simply as the Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with over one billion members. ... James II of England/VII of Scotland (14 October 1633 â€“ 16 September 1701) became King of Scots, King of England, and King of Ireland on 6 February 1685, and Duke of Normandy on 31 December 1660. ...

William of Orange and his Whig allies sought to oust James and replace him with William's wife Mary who was James' daughter and next in line to the throne. In November 1688 William, with the aid of various traitors and turncoats in the Army and elsewhere, invaded England leaving James no alternative but to escape to France. In February 1689, under the so-called Glorious Revolution, the English Parliament illegally gave itself the right to oust the rightful king, James II and VII, and formally granted the Crown to the usurping Dutchman, William of Orange, who, in turn, favoured the traitors with huge financial rewards. The Scottish Parliament would not, at first, accept William, who therefore summoned a Convention of the Estates which met on 14 March 1689 in Edinburgh to consider the position. Forces of Cameronians as well as Clan Campbell highlanders led by the Earl of Argyll had come to bolster William's support and to browbeat the Parliament into accepting the new status quo. On James' side, John Graham of Claverhouse, Viscount Dundee, a commanding officer in the King's Life Guard, attended at the start but withdrew four days later when support for William became evident (with a little persuasion from Argyll and his men). The Convention set out its terms and William and Mary were proclaimed at Edinburgh on April 11, 1689, then had their coronation in London in May. Those disputing this illegal usurpation of the right of the lawful king, James II and VII, became known as Jacobites (from "Jacobus", the Latin for James).^[11] William III King of England, Scotland and Ireland William III and II (14 November 1650–8 March 1702; also known as William Henry and William of Orange) was Prince of Orange from his birth, King of England and Ireland from 13 February 1689, and King of Scotland from 11... Mary II (30 April 1662â€“28 December 1694) reigned as Queen of England and Ireland from 13 February 1689, and as Queen of Scotland (as Mary II of Scotland) from 11 April 1689 until her death. ... // Events A high-powered conspiracy of notables, the Immortal Seven, invite William and Mary to depose James II of England. ... The Revolution of 1688, commonly known as the Glorious Revolution, was the overthrow of James II of England in 1688 by a union of Parliamentarians and the Dutch stadtholder William III of Orange-Nassau (William of Orange). ... March 14 is the 73rd day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (74th in leap years) with 292 days remaining in the year. ... Events Louis XIV of France passed the Code Noir, allowing the full use of slaves in the French colonies. ... Edinburgh (pronounced ; Scottish Gaelic: ) is the capital of Scotland and its second-largest city. ... Cameronian was a name given to a section of the Scottish Covenanters who followed the teachings of Richard Cameron, and who were composed prinicpally of those who signed the Sanquhar Declaration in 1680. ... Campbell Clan Badge - In heraldry, a snarling Boars head may represent what are seen as the positive qualities of the boar, namely courage and fierceness in battle. ... Archibald Campbell, 1st Duke of Argyll (1658 - September 25, 1703) was a Scottish peer. ... John Graham, Viscount Dundee (c. ... April 11 is the 101st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (102nd in leap years). ... Events Louis XIV of France passed the Code Noir, allowing the full use of slaves in the French colonies. ... Charles Edward Stuart, Bonnie Prince Charlie, wearing the Jacobite blue bonnet Jacobitism was (and, to a very limited extent, remains) the political movement dedicated to the restoration of the Stuart kings to the thrones of England and Scotland. ...

Union with England

It is an oversimplification to claim, as Robert Burns memorably did, that the Union of England and Scotland (and hence the dissolution of the Scottish Parliament) was brought about by the Scots members being "bought and sold for English gold", but bribery and parliamentary division combined with wider economic imperatives, partly arising from the disaster of the Darien Scheme, enabled the Crown to incorporate Union with England in the Acts of Union 1707 which brought the Parliament of Great Britain.^[12] Robert Burns, foremost Scottish poet Robert Burns (January 25, 1759 â€“ July 21, 1796) was a poet and a lyricist. ... Motto: (Latin for No one provokes me with impunity)1 Anthem: Multiple unofficial anthems Capital Edinburgh Largest city Glasgow Official language(s) English, Gaelic, Scots 2 Government Constitutional monarchy - Queen Queen Elizabeth II - Prime Minister of the UK Tony Blair MP - First Minister Jack McConnell MSP Unification - by Kenneth I... The Darién scheme was an unsuccessful attempt by the Kingdom of Scotland to establish a colony on the Isthmus of Panama. ... The Acts of Union were a pair of Acts of Parliament passed in 1706 and 1707 (taking effect on 1 May 1707) by, respectively, the Parliament of England and the Parliament of Scotland. ... The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative institution in the United Kingdom and British overseas territories (it alone has parliamentary sovereignty). ...

Composition and procedure in the 17th century

Presidency of parliament

The office of the presiding officer in parliament never developed into a post similar in nature to that of the Speaker of the House of Commons at Westminster - mainly because of parliament's unicameral nature, which equated more to the English House of Lords. An act of 1428 which created a 'common speaker' proved abortive, and the chancellor remained in the position of a presiding officer (until recently the Lord Chancellor of Great Britain, did similiary preside over the House of Lords). In the absence of the King after the Union of the Crowns in 1603, parliament was presided over by the Lord Chancellor, or the Lord High Commissioner. After the Restoration, the Lord Chancellor was made ex-officio president of the parliament (now reflected in the Scottish Parliament by the election of a presiding officer), his functions including the formulation of questions and putting them to the vote. The term Speaker is usually the title given to the presiding officer of a countrys lower house of parliament or congress (ie: the House of Commons or House of Representatives). ... This article is about the British House of Lords. ... Events October 12 - English forces under Thomas Montacute, 4th Earl of Salisbury besiege OrlÃ©ans. ... The Lord Chancellor of Scotland was a senior pre-Union officer in Scotland. ... This article or section needs a complete rewrite for the reasons listed on the talk page. ... The Union of Crowns refers to the accession to the thrones of England and Ireland of King James VI of Scotland in March 1603, following the death of his unmarried and childless cousin, Elizabeth I, the last monarch of the Tudor dynasty. ... King James I of England/VII of Scotland, the first monarch to rule the Kingdoms of England and Scotland at the same time Events March - Samuel de Champlain, French explorer, sails to Canada March 24 - Elizabeth I of England dies and is succeeded by her cousin King James I of... The Lord Chancellor of Scotland was a senior pre-Union officer in Scotland. ... As the Sovereigns personal representative Lord High Commissioners were appointed to the Parliament of Scotland between 1603 and 1707. ... The Scottish Parliaments logo in English and Gaelic. ... The Presiding Officer (Oifigear-Riaghlaidh in Scots Gaelic) is the person elected by the Members of the Scottish Parliament to chair their meetings. ...

Notes

^ K. Brown and R. Tanner, History of the Scottish Parliament, i, 'introduction'.
^ R. Rait, 'Parliaments of Scotland' (1928)
^ Brown and Tanner, passim; R. Tanner, The Late Medieval Scottish Parliament, passim; K. Brown and A. Mann, History of the Scottish Parliament, ii, passim
^ Tanner, Parliament, passim
^ Typified by Rait, op. cit
^ R. Tanner, 'The Lords of the Articles before 1542', in Scottish Historical Review (2000)
^ Brown, Mann and Tanner, History of the Scottish Parliament, i, ii, passim.
^ Brown and Tanner, History of Parliament, i, passim
^ Tanner, Late Medieval Scottish Parliament, passim
^ Rait, Parliaments of Scotland
^ Brown and Mann, History of the Scottish Parliament, ii, passim
^ C. Whatley, Bought and Sold for English Gold?, passim; Brown and Mann, History of the Scottish Parliament, ii, passim

External links

The First Scottish Parliament: the Middle Ages – 1707, Scottish Parliament
The Scottish Parliamentary Tradition, Scottish Parliament
The Scottish Parliament Project - The Records of the Parliaments of Scotland to 1707, University of St Andrews
Scottish Parliament records, National Archives of Scotland
Scotland's powerful parliament, abstract of The Late Medieval Scottish Parliament: Politics and the Three Estates, Dr Roland Tanner, Tuckwell Press, ISBN 1-86232-174-4
Original Scottish Parliament, The Scotsman

Categories: Articles which may be biased | Parliament of Scotland | 1707 disestablishments The Scottish Parliaments logo in English and Gaelic. ... St Marys College Bute Medical School Postgraduate Students Affiliations 1994 Group Website www. ... Based in Edinburgh, the National Archives of Scotland (NAS) claims to have one of the most varied collection of archives in the British Isles. ... The Scotsmans offices in Edinburgh The Scotsman is a Scottish newspaper published in Edinburgh. ...

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