Editing Lords of the Congregation

{{short description|16th-century Scottish nobles in support of the Protestant Reformation}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2019}}
[[File:Preaching of Knox before the Lords of the Congregation.jpg|thumb|400px|''The Preaching of [[John Knox|Knox]] before the Lords of the Congregation, 10th June 1559'' ([[David Wilkie (artist)|David Wilkie]], 1832)]]

The '''Lords of the Congregation''' ({{Langx|sco|Lairds o the Congregatioun}}), originally styling themselves '''the Faithful''',<ref>T. C. Smout, ''A History of the Scottish People, 1560–1830'' (Collins, 1969), p. 53.</ref> were a group of [[Protestant]] [[Scotland|Scottish]] nobles who in the mid-16th century favoured a [[Scottish Reformation|reformation]] of the [[Catholic church]] according to [[Protestant]] principles and a Scottish-English alliance. The '''Confederate Lords''' were nobles who opposed [[Mary, Queen of Scots]], after she married the [[Earl of Bothwell]].

== Historical events ==
In December 1557 a group of Scottish lords opposed the [[Wedding of Mary, Queen of Scots, and Francis, Dauphin of France|marriage of Mary, Queen of Scots]] to the [[Francis II of France|Dauphin of France]] (who became King Francis II of France from 1559 to 1560). The group signed the '[[Covenanter#Beginnings|First Band]]' or Covenant to work to make Scotland Protestant.<ref>Tom Steel, ''Scotland's Story'' (HarperCollins 1984), p. 79.</ref> The initial members were the [[Archibald Campbell, 5th Earl of Argyll|Earl of Argyll]], his brother [[Colin Campbell, 6th Earl of Argyll|Colin Campbell]], the [[Alexander Cunningham, 5th Earl of Glencairn|Earl of Glencairn]], the [[James Douglas, 4th Earl of Morton|Earl of Morton]], and [[John Erskine of Dun]], though others, such as [[William Douglas of Whittinghame]] quickly followed.

Following religious riots in [[Perth, Scotland|Perth]], the Lords gained support and provided military help to [[John Knox]] in opposing the troops of [[Mary of Guise]], who was the [[Regent of Scotland]]. They wrote letters to the French commanders, [[Henri Cleutin]], and to Mary of Guise outlining their case on 22 May. The letter for Mary of Guise was placed on the cushion of her seat in the Chapel Royal of [[Stirling Castle]]. She found it and tucked it discretely into the pocket of her gown.<ref>[[David Laing (antiquary)|David Laing]], ''Works of John Knox: History of the Reformation'', vol. 1 (Edinburgh, 1846), pp. 228–229.</ref>

In June, at [[Cupar Muir]], in [[Fife, Scotland|Fife]], the Lords fielded enough military strength to face off a French and Scottish army jointly led by the [[James Hamilton, 2nd Earl of Arran|Duke of Châtelherault]] (who as Regent had supported the French match) and by Henri Cleutin the French king's lieutenant.<ref>Pamela Ritchie, ''Mary of Guise in Scotland, 1548–1560: A Political Career'' (East Linton, Tuckwell Press, 2002): Eric Durot, « Le Crépuscule de l'''Auld Alliance''. La légitimité du pouvoir en question entre France, Angleterre et Écosse (1558–1561) », ''Histoire, Économie & Société'', 2007, pp. 3–46: [[Robert Lindsay of Pitscottie]], ''History of Scotland'' (Edinburgh, 1814), pp. 536–545.</ref> By July 1559 the Lords of the Congregation had taken Edinburgh. As [[Edinburgh Castle]] held out against them, the Lords withdrew under the terms of the truce of the [[Articles of Leith]] (25 July 1559).

In September, Châtelherault, now joined by his son, the [[James Hamilton, 3rd Earl of Arran|Earl of Arran]], changed sides and became leader of the Congregation Lords. On 21 October 1559, the Lords issued a proclamation that Guise was no longer regent and should issue no more coins.<ref>[[Joseph Stevenson]], ''Calendar State Papers Foreign Elizabeth, 1559–1560'' (London, 1865), pp. 46–47 no. 111.</ref>

Mary of Guise, who had earlier offered a degree of religious tolerance, maintained that their motives were [[Secularity|secular]] in part. Queen Mary and King Francis wrote to her in November 1559, declaring that the lords were acting maliciously under the name and cloak of religion.<ref>
Michaud & Poujalat (ed.), {{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=fdoTAAAAYAAJ  |title=''Nouvelle Collection pour servir a l'histoire de France''|last1=Michaud|first1=Joseph Fr|year=1839}}, vol. 6 (1839), 451–453, Blois, November 1559.
</ref> French re-inforcements pushed the Lords and their Protestant army back to Stirling and Fife.

By the [[Treaty of Berwick (1560)|Treaty of Berwick]] in February 1560 the Lords brought in an English army to resist the French troops. The armed conflict now centred on the [[Siege of Leith]]. After the death of the Queen Regent in June and the conclusion of hostilities at Leith by the [[Treaty of Edinburgh]] in July, the Scottish Reformation took effect in the [[Scottish Reformation Parliament|Parliament of Scotland]] in August 1560.<ref>''Acts of the Parliaments of Scotland'', vol. 2 (Edinburgh, 1814), pp. 525–535.</ref>

=== Personnel ===

[[William Kirkcaldy of Grange]] and [[John Knox]] gave a list of members of the Congregation who expelled the troops of Mary of Guise from [[Perth, Scotland|Perth]] in June 1559 and moved on Edinburgh, including:

* [[Archibald Campbell, 5th Earl of Argyll]]
* [[James_Stewart,_1st_Earl_of_Moray|James Stewart]], [[Prior of St Andrews]], later to become [[Regent Moray]]
* [[Andrew Leslie, 5th Earl of Rothes]]
* [[John_Graham,_4th_Earl_of_Menteith|John Graham]], 4th [[Earl of Menteith]]
* [[Patrick Ruthven, 3rd Lord Ruthven]]
* [[James Ogilvy, 5th Lord Ogilvy of Airlie]]
* David, 2nd [[Earl of Perth|Lord Drummond]]
* [[Patrick Lindsay, 6th Lord Lindsay|Patrick Lindsay, Master of Lindsay]]
* [[William Douglas, 6th Earl of Morton|William Douglas]], Laird of [[Lochleven Castle|Lochleven]]
* [[John Wishart of Pitarrow|John Wishart, Laird of Pitarro]]
* [[William Murray (died 1562)|William Murray]], Laird of [[Tullibardine Castle|Tullibardine]]
* Colin Campbell, Laird of [[Glen Orchy|Glenorchy]].

These were joined in Edinburgh in July 1559 by: [[Alexander Cunningham, 5th Earl of Glencairn|Alexander Cunningham, Earl of Glencairn]]; the Earl of Morton; [[John Erskine, 6th Lord Erskine|Lord Erskine]]; [[Robert Boyd, 4th Lord Boyd|Robert, Lord Boyd]]; [[Andrew Stewart, 2nd Lord Ochiltree|Lord Ochiltree]]; Hugh Campbell, Sheriff of Ayr; and the Laird of Calder. 

Knox and Kirkcaldy gave the names of another six lords who had not yet declared their alliance in July 1559; William Keith, 4th [[Earl Marischal]]; the Earl of Athol; Lord Forbes; and [[James Douglas, 7th Baron Drumlanrig|James Douglas, Laird of Drumlanrig]]; the [[John Gordon of Lochinvar|Laird of Lochinvar]]; and the Laird of Garlies.<ref>Joseph Bain, ''Calendar of State Papers Scotland'', vol. 1 (Edinburgh, 1898), pp. 219–220.</ref>

A list of the council for policy of the Lords of October 1559 includes; the former Regent Arran; his son the 3rd Earl of Arran; the Earl of Argyll; the Prior of St Andrews; the Earl of Glencairn; Lord Ruthven; Robert, 4th Lord Boyd; Lord Maxwell; Erskine of Dun; Wishart of Pitarrow; [[Henry Balnaves|Henry Balnaves of Halhill]]; Kirkcaldy of Grange; and James Halyburton [[List of Lords Provost of Dundee|Provost of Dundee]].

The congregation received guidance in religious matters from:

* [[Alexander Gordon (d. 1575)|Alexander Gordon, Bishop of Galloway]]
* John Knox
* Master [[Christopher Goodman]] of England
* [[John Willock]].<ref>Clifford, Arthur ed., ''Sadler State Papers'', vol. 1 (Constable: Edinburgh, 1809), p. 210, Randall to [[Ralph Sadler]] and [[James Croft]], 22 October 1559</ref>

==Manifesto and rhetoric==
Several letters and bonds signed by the Lords set out and justify their aims. A letter sent to enlist the help of [[George Hay, 7th Earl of Erroll|George Hay]], [[Earl of Erroll]], [[Lord High Constable of Scotland|Hereditary Constable of Scotland]], written 24 January 1560 focused on their secular goal to expel the French garrisons and justifies their request for English military support. The letter fell into French hands and would have been used against them;<blockquote>We wrote ... how we were handled and suppressed by strangers and already invaded by fire and sword for the debating of the true ministry of God's word and liberty of this realm, which as we may see is now taken effect in the most cruel and ungodly manner by the fortifying of the principal port of this realm (Leith) and the intended fortification of St Andrews<br>And they have in their progress used such cruelty on those that gave them most credit and were assured by them that all others may take example, And yet they intend no less than to bring us, if God will permit them, to most wild slavery and bondage and to make plain conquest under a coloured authority to the utter extermination of us and our posterity<br>And because we saw them continue in their unjust persecution and our force is so small to resist their tyranny we thought good to seek support of our neighbours of England, which they have granted to us as may now be manifestly seen by the army already come by sea, and by the land host that will march on the day appointed.<ref>Gladys Dickinson, 'Report by De La Brosse and D'Oysel', ''Miscellany of The Scottish History Society, 9'' (SHS, 1958), p. 96 here modernised: the French copyists in 1560 took care to preserve the original spelling.</ref></blockquote>
This letter was signed by James Hamilton the former Regent, Argyll, Glencairn, Rothes, Ruthven, Menteith and Boyd.

== Confederate Lords and Mary, Queen of Scots ==
The Scottish lords who opposed Mary, Queen of Scots, in 1567 after she married the [[James Hepburn, 4th Earl of Bothwell|Earl of Bothwell]] are known as the Confederate Lords. On 1 May, when Bothwell had taken Mary to [[Dunbar Castle]], a "Bond for the Queen's Safety" was signed at [[Stirling Castle]] by the Earls of Atholl, Argyll, Mar, Morton, Sir John Graham, and [[William Murray of Tullibardine|William Murray]] of [[Tullibardine Castle|Tullibardine]].<ref>Henry Paton, ''HMC Mar & Kellie'', 2 (London, 1930), pp. 27–28.</ref> Mary and Bothell were defeated by the Confederate Lords at the [[battle of Carberry Hill]]. After Mary escaped from [[Lochleven Castle]], she was again defeated by the Confederate Lords at the [[battle of Langside]]. The personnel of Mary's following, the Congregation, and the Confederate Lords were explored by [[Gordon Donaldson]] in his ''All the Queen's men: Power and Politics in Mary Stewart's Scotland'' (1983).

==References==
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[[Category:Scottish Reformation| ]]
[[Category:1560 in Scotland]]
[[Category:1559 in Scotland]]
[[Category:Church of Scotland]]