Convention of the Estates of Scotland facts for kids
The Convention of Estates of Scotland was like a special meeting in Scotland's history. It was similar to the Scottish Parliament, but had a different job. It met from the early 1500s onwards.
Contents
What was the Convention of Estates?
Who Attended These Meetings?
At first, only important church leaders (clergy) and nobles (rich landowners) went to these meetings. Later, people representing the towns, called burgh commissioners, also joined. This made the Convention a bit more like the Parliament, which also had these different groups.
How Was it Different from Parliament?
The Convention of Estates was special because the King could call a meeting for one main reason: to ask for money. This was usually in the form of taxes. However, unlike the full Parliament, the Convention could not create new laws or change old ones. Its main purpose was to help the King raise funds when needed.
Why Was it Important?
Even though it had limited powers, the Convention of Estates played a big role in Scotland's politics and law-making during the 1500s and 1600s. It was important for discussing national issues and helping the country run smoothly, especially when it came to money matters. It was similar to an older group called the General Council.
A Big Moment: The 1689 Convention
One of the most famous meetings was the Convention of Estates of 1689. This happened during a time of big change in Britain, known as the Glorious Revolution. Scotland's special council, the Privy Council, called this meeting to decide who should be the next King and Queen of Scotland.
The Convention decided to offer the Scottish crown to William and Mary. They also created important documents called the Articles of Grievances and the Claim of Right Act 1689. After making these big decisions, the Convention then changed itself into a full Parliament. This showed how important it was in shaping Scotland's future.
See also
- List of parliaments of Scotland (includes Conventions of Estates)
- Commissioner (Scottish Parliament)
- Convention of Estates of Scotland (1689)
- Claim of Right Act 1689
- Three Estates of Scotland
