Treaty of Berwick (1639) facts for kids
The Treaty of Berwick was an important peace agreement between England and Scotland. It's also known as the Peace of Berwick or the Pacification of Berwick. This treaty was signed on 19 June 1639. It helped stop a small part of the fighting in what were called the Bishops' Wars. This agreement came before the Treaty of Ripon, which officially ended all of the Bishops' Wars.
Why the War Started
The Bishops' Wars were a series of conflicts that happened in the 1600s. They involved three kingdoms: Scotland, England, and Ireland. The first of these wars began in 1639.
The main reason for the war was King Charles I's desire to change the Scottish Church. His father, James VI and I, had tried to make the churches of Scotland and England more alike. King Charles I wanted to do something similar, but his ideas were seen as too close to the Catholic Church by many Scots.
These changes caused a lot of anger and protests among different religious groups in Scotland. People were very upset. There were attempts to talk things out, but King Charles I chose to show his power instead. This led to the start of the First Bishops' War.
Signing the Peace Agreement
During the First Bishops' War, King Charles I made some military choices that weakened his army. He divided his forces to try and invade Scotland from three different directions. The English soldiers were also not very keen to fight. This was because religious differences divided the English, while the Scots were united by their faith.
When the English army reached Berwick, they didn't want to fight. So, on 13 June 1639, the Scottish leaders sent two people, Archibald Johnston and Alexander Henderson, to talk about a peace treaty.
They met King Charles I at his army camp. They discussed the terms of the treaty for about five days. Finally, on 18 June 1639, the Treaty of Berwick was signed by the King and the Scottish negotiators. This agreement officially ended the First Bishops' War. However, both sides knew that this peace might only be for a short time.
What Happened Next
Right after the treaty was signed, King Charles I immediately started gathering more supplies and strengthening his armies. This showed that the peace was indeed temporary. The agreement was broken when the Second Bishops' War began.
There was a difficult fight at Kelso between the English and the Scottish Covenanter Army. The English advance guard was forced to retreat back to King Charles's main camp at Berwick-upon-Tweed. Other efforts to get help, like bringing the Irish army over, also failed.
Because of these problems, King Charles I had to agree to another truce. In this new agreement, he gave the Scots the right to have their own free church assembly and a free parliament.
See also
- Bishops' Wars
- List of treaties
