On Saturday October 7th Lanark and District Archaeological Society hosted a conference on "The Covenanters in Lanarkshire" at New Lanark. There were over fifty delegates from a wide area including Ayrshire and Aberdeenshire and from an equally wide background. They ranged from pupils from Biggar High School studying this period for their Highers to members of the Covenanting Theological College. This article gives a summary of the contibutions, there are also a number of images from the day.
Jim Arnold, director of the New Lanark Trust, welcomed everybody and commented that it was most appropriate that such a conference should be held in the Institute for the Formation of Character. After Jim Arnold's warm and friendly introduction Alan Paton, vice chairman of the Lanark and District Archaeological Society introduced the speakers for the morning session.
Alan Paton closed the morning session and then there was a break for lunch. After lunch the speakers were introduced by Scott Main, treasurer of the Lanark and District Archaeological Society.
"The Covenanters; from persecutors to persecuted." by David Stevenson - Emeritus Professor of History at St Andrews University.
Professor Stevenson began his lecture by expressing his concern that this would be a difficult audience to talk to on this subject. He was also concerned that he would present some unpopular perspectives on the Covenanters. Professor Stevenson explained that the origins of the Covenanters' ideology could be traced to the birth of the autonomous Calvinist Church. The late sixteenth century was also a time when royal power was weak in Scotland compared to England. When James VI came to power on England he was strongly influence by the ideas in the English court and wanted to exercise strong control over the church in Scotland. At this time the relative success of the Catholics in the 30 Years War also increased the insecurity of the Protestants in Scotland and there was little accommodation between the two ideologies. Professor Stevenson explained that this would have been considered "un-Godly" by either side.
The Prayer Book riots of 1637, although a spontaneous eruption from the congregations were also organised and encouraged by the clergy and nobility. By 1638 the nobles had taken over the movement and this year saw the publication of the National Covenant. At this time the feeling abroad was the "God has chosen the Scot's for a special mission". The strength of the alliance between the nobles and the clergy allowed the King's will to be overcome in Scotland. At this time Charles I was ignorant and remote from events in Scotland. This tense situation led to the Civil War in England and gave an example of revolt to the Catholics in Ireland.
However, at this time the Covenanters became "over confident and arrogant" and things did not go well for them militarily. Although Montrose was eventually defeated his initial victories dented the confidence of the Covenanters. The clergy's perspective was that "God is punishing us" while the nobles wanted to reach a compromise settlement. By 1646 the nobles had taken power, but the following year the Kirk party seized power and began a series of purges both of the nobility and the army. The Covenanter reign collapsed in 1650 after their interference in England had led to Cromwell's decisive military intervention.
The Covenanting Kirk then began to split. The majority welcomed the restoration of the Crown as Charles II had signed the Covenant. However Charles wanted strong bishops to control the church, while the Scot's Royalists who had been persecuted want to prevent the resurgence of Presbyterian. Charles's ministers in particular wanted revenge on the Covenanters and Parliament passed an act that required The Kirk Ministers to publicly accept the Bishops and their powers. This led many Ministers to leave the church and begin preaching independently.
At this time the persecution of the Covenanters began. There was quartering of the military in areas of resistance, Ministers were banished and fined. This led to a degree of disorganised resistance, and the formation of open-air services or Conventicles. Resistance was geographically split according to the patterns of landholder. While the large landowners did not want any dissent in the southwest and Fife there was resistance from the more independent minded Bonnet Lairds. However these initial disorganised uprisings were easily defeated and more persecution ensued.
Events can to a head after the 1679 murder of the Arch Bishop of St Andrews and the battle of Bothwell Bridge. This led to the Killing times that were characterised by extremes on both sides.
James II's accession was seen with suspicion, but he tried to be tolerant tot the Covenanters. After the Glorious Revolution in 1688 there was an expectation by the Covenanters that Presbyterians would return, however William was keen to retain the bishops, as this would maintain Crown control over the Church. However, the Scot's Bishops would not accept William as King and so Presbyterianism was reintroduced as an expediency. This new regime was not that of the Covenanters but was tolerant to those that did not rejoin. The language of the Covenant was carried on through various causes and has a strong legacy in Socialism.
"Lanarkshire Covenanters remembered" by Dane Love of the Scottish Covenanter Memorials Association
Dane described the principal monuments and some of the best-known figures in the Covenanting movement in Lanarkshire. In addition he highlighted the problems of looking after these important monuments, in described the work of the Association in restoring a number of monuments. Amongst the sites described was the obelisk at Lanark, which has the names of all those executed, deported and fined in the area. The Lesmahagow area, due to its remoteness was a particularly significant stronghold for the Covenanters and the Society is involved in several acts of restoration in the churchyard. In Carluke there are a number of monuments, but unfortunately the Rev. Kidd's stone had been vandalised beyond repair. In Hamilton graveyard there is a monument displaying four Covenanters heads. This is a memorial to four men executed after the Pentland rising, while their heads were sent to Hamilton, their hands were nailed to the Tolbooth in Lanark.
In the kirkyard at Dalserf is the grave and monument to Rev. John McMillan who was minister at Balmaghie church in Galloway. He came to the parish of Dalserf in 1733 and was instrumental in the Covenanters movement. He died in 1753 and ninety years later a monument was built to his memory. This is to be refurbished by adding four new granite plaques bearing the original inscription to the existing obelisk.
The Society has over three hundred members and all of its work is performed through the efforts of its members and through the funds of the Society. The minimum subscription to the Society is £2 and subscriptions can be sent to
Dane Love
Honorary Secretary
Scottish Covenanter Memorials Association
Lochnoran House
Auchinleck
Ayrshire KA18 3JW.
Dane is also the author of a new publication on the Covenantors:Tales from the Killing Times
"Clydesdale parishes/boundaries and buildings from the Reformation to 1700" by Sandy Gilchrist of LADAS.
Sandy is an expert on Lanarkshire's churches and he spoke about some of the local churches and explained how the Reformation affected them. Scotland's rural churches had always reflected the local poverty, while there were some fine cathedrals and abbeys, there had never been "posh churches" in the countryside. This situation was extenuated by the appropriation of income by the abbeys, the ravages of war and the general late of enthusiasm for religion in the late Middle Ages.
Sandy explained how after the Reformation Church architecture was significantly changed, the pulpit was moved to the centre of the long wall and windows were placed on the south side of the building. Some new churches were built at this time. Burnt Island Kirk was built in the middle of the town "based on a Dutch design". However, Sandy explained that the church that it was supposed to have been based on was in fact built some 20 years later. Not all of the Reformation churches were built from scratch. Many, such as Dunblane were built inside existing cathedrals and abbeys. The abbeys and cathedrals that were not adapted in this way at the time are now all ruins. In other places the exisiting parish churches were modified to reflect the new architecture.
In the Lanarkshire area a range of approaches were illustrated. In Lesmahagow, where the old Kirk was too small a new purpose built structure was created. In Biggar, were there has been no significant change in the population the substantial building constructed just prior to the Reformation was simply adopted. The small church in Thankerton has become derelict, but Pettinain church, which is one of the finest to be built in the 17th century in Lanarkshire is still standing.
"Life in Covenanting times" by Tam Ward - Archaeological advisor to the Biggar Museum Trust.
Tam explained that more is know about life in the Bronze Age in the area than is known about rural life at the time of the Covenanters. Tam had begun working in this area in 1981 with the excavation of Wingate house. The dimensions of this building were found to be at odds with the accepted architecture. This led to the conclusion that this had been a bastle house, a structure common in Northumberland at the time but previously unknown outside of the Scottish borders. Bastle houses are defensive structures, which were built as a response to the border Reiving of the late 16th century.
Further investigation found another example in Clydesdale, a house in the village of Nemphlar showed the same characteristic vaulted basement with the only door and windows on the first floor. One thing that was noted was that all of the examples found in Clydesdale had an internal staircase whereas in England the stirs were usually external.
In 1984 another site was identified at Glenochar near Elvanfoot. Excavation here has revealed 10 byres or house/byres around the farmstead in a pattern that would have been the same as seen in Norse times. The finds from this site included a number of pipe bowls. These are very useful archaeological evidence as they can be dated to within 10 years. They also show that the farmstead must have been relatively prosperous as in 1630 the price of tobacco was £50 an ounce. The floor of the building was found to be a layer of river clay, which would have been replaced every year with a new layer. The lifestyle of the time can also be examined from documentary evidence that records the tenants, their stocks and debts in the 1600s.
Throughout the Covenanting period times were turbulent and so building still had many defensive features even at the end of the 17th century.
"The Glentaggart Christening stones - the Covenanter connection?" by Colin McAllister
Colin narrated a story that he had written about a Conventicle at the Glentaggart Christening stones. He then discussed the story of the Glentaggart christening stones which local tradition associates with the Covenanters. He revealed that there was no direct evidence as yet to clearly associate them with the Covenanting period. Colin drew the audience's attention to a model that he had brought with him and to some pictures of the christening stones. He also explained that the stones do not have statutory protect and that further research into their use and origins is required to allow then to be protected.
"Lanark's martyrs - the story of the contribution made by Lanark people to the Covenanting cause" by Ed Archer - secretary of LADAS
Ed Archer spoke about Lanark and area in the Covenanting times. He gave an overview of what Lanark was like in Covenanting times and how the town was divided in its allegiance to the Covenanters. He described how the town became more sympathetic to the Covenanting cause after the Stuart Government had decided to quarter troops in the town. The Lanarkians were less than impressed with the Angus regiment of Foot, which looted the town. Furthermore, the harsh treatment meted out to local people like Robert Baillie of Jerviswood alienated the people of Lanark, nor did they like William III who made Lanark pay a fine imposed by James VII of 6,000 pounds Scots
"The significance of the Covenanting movement in the 21st Century" by the Reverend Andrew Quigley of the Covenanter Theological Institute.
Andrew Quigley of the Covenanting Theological Institute was the last speaker and he described how his interest in the Covenanter had been sparked when he had been asked to show American college students the significant Covenanter site. He addressed the question of why the Covenanters were prepared to loose their lives rather than accept a compromise. Rev. Quigley believed that it was their religious conviction and their interpretation of the Bible that led then to believe that the King could not usurp the role of Christ.
At the end of the Conference LADAS chairman Ian Borthwick thanked all the speakers for their talks. He also thanked the New Lanark Trust for their help and the catering, South Lanarkshire Council for their financial assistance and finally he thanked the committee of LADAS for running the Conference.