Treaty of London (1641) facts for kids

The Treaty of London of 1641 was an important agreement that officially ended the Bishops' Wars between England and Scotland. These wars were an early part of a bigger conflict called the Wars of the Three Kingdoms.

Why Did the Wars Start?

The Bishops' Wars began because of disagreements between King Charles I and the people of Scotland.

King Charles's New Prayer Book

In 1637, King Charles wanted to introduce a new Book of Common Prayer in Scotland. This prayer book was similar to the one used in the Church of England. However, many Scots were very upset by this. They felt it was an attack on their own church, the Church of Scotland (also known as the Kirk).

Bishops and the Kirk

Another big issue was about bishops. The Scottish church had voted to get rid of bishops, but King Charles wanted to bring them back. He believed bishops were important for the church.

Scotland's Protest

Many Scots signed the National Covenant to show their strong protest against the King's changes. King Charles then raised an army in England to force Scotland to accept his rules. This led to war.

How the War Ended

The fighting didn't go well for King Charles.

The Battle of Newburn

On August 28, 1640, a Scottish army defeated an English army at the Battle of Newburn. This battle took place in Northumberland, England.

The Treaty of Ripon

After this defeat, King Charles and the Scottish Covenanters (those who signed the National Covenant) signed a temporary agreement called the Treaty of Ripon. This happened on October 26, 1640. As part of this agreement, the Scottish army was allowed to stay in Northumberland and County Durham. England also had to pay the Scottish army £850 every day to cover their costs. The Scots were also promised that they would be paid back for all the money they spent during the wars.

Making the Final Treaty

King Charles needed money badly. He called the Parliament of England to ask them to approve new taxes. This Parliament, which met on November 3, 1640, became known as the Long Parliament. It did not always agree with the King.

Scottish Representatives in London

A week later, Scottish representatives, called commissioners, arrived in London. Their job was to finish the peace treaty. At first, King Charles called the Scottish army "rebel invaders." But the people of London, especially the Puritans, welcomed the Scottish commissioners. So, the King had to take back his words.

Difficult Negotiations

Negotiations continued into the middle of 1641. King Charles was in a weak position. There was unrest in London, and Parliament had accused his two main ministers, the Earl of Strafford and Archbishop Laud, of serious crimes. They were later executed.

Because of his weak position, King Charles made several unexpected agreements:

• He agreed that the Scottish church could keep its decision to abolish bishops.
• The royal castles at Edinburgh and Dumbarton would only be used for defense.
• No Scot would be punished for signing the National Covenant.
• Scottish goods and ships captured during the war would be returned.
• Writings against the Covenanters would be stopped.

It was also agreed that the Scots would be paid £300,000. Parliament called this payment "brotherly assistance."

Agreement Reached

The Scottish commissioners also wanted to finish the talks. They had spoken out against bishops in the Church of England and against Strafford and Laud. Their English hosts told them this was not their concern. The Scots dropped their demand that Presbyterianism (a church system without bishops) be adopted in all three kingdoms.

The final treaty was signed on August 10, 1641.

After the Treaty

King Charles visited Scotland from August to November 1641. He tried to make things better by giving out favors. However, the deep problems within his kingdoms remained. The Bishops' Wars were just the beginning of the larger Wars of the Three Kingdoms, which lasted until King Charles was put on trial and executed in 1649.