Latest / The Story of Scotland: Clans, Crowns, and the Fight for Identity — Fexingo History / The Killing Times: Scotland's Covenanting Martyrs
Transcript
- Lucas: So we've covered a lot of Scotland's big turning points — Bruce, Bannockburn, Mary Queen of Scots, the Jacobites. But there's a period that's less famous but just as brutal, and it's this religious conflict that tore the country apart in the late 1600s. It's called 'The Killing Times.' Luna: The Killing Times — that name alone sounds ominous. Lucas: It really was. After the Restoration of Charles II in 1660, the Stuart monarchy wanted to reimpose bishops on the Church of Scotland. But a large part of the population — especially in the southwest — were Presbyterians, and they'd fought hard for a church without bishops. They'd signed the National Covenant back in 1638, swearing to uphold Presbyterianism. To them, accepting bishops was a betrayal of their faith. Lucas: Charles II and his government didn't see it that way. They passed an act in 1661 making all ministers accept episcopal authority or lose their livings. About a third of ministers refused — nearly 300 of them — and were evicted from their churches. These were the first Covenanters, and they started holding open-air gatherings called conventicles. Luna: And the government responded with force? Lucas: Absolutely. Attending a conventicle became a capital offense. The government sent in troops to break them up, and the Covenanters started carrying weapons to defend themselves. It escalated into a low-level civil war. In 1666, a group of Covenanters marched on Edinburgh but were crushed at the Battle of Rullion Green. After that, executions became routine. Luna: So who was leading the persecution? Lucas: The most infamous figure is Sir George Mackenzie, the Lord Advocate. He earned the nickname 'Bluidy Mackenzie' for his relentless prosecution of Covenanters. He wasn't just a judge — he was a hardline royalist who believed that dissent was treason. He wrote a book arguing that it was lawful to persecute people for religious beliefs if they threatened the state. He's also the man who founded the Advocates Library, which later became the National Library of Scotland — so his legacy is complicated. Lucas: But the Covenanters had their own martyrs too. One of the earliest was James Guthrie, a minister who was executed in 1661 for refusing to acknowledge the king's supremacy in church matters. On the scaffold, he reportedly said, 'The covenants, the covenants shall yet be Scotland's reviving.' That became a rallying cry. Luna: So the Covenanters saw themselves as dying for a sacred cause. Lucas: Exactly. And the persecution got worse in the 1670s and 80s. In 1679, another uprising was crushed at Bothwell Bridge, and then things really spiraled. The government started using 'letters of intercommuning' — basically declaring certain Covenanters outlaws, so anyone who helped them could be executed too. That created a network of fugitives hiding in the hills, supported by sympathetic locals. Lucas: One of the most remarkable figures from this time is Alexander Peden, a field preacher who evaded capture for years. He was known for his fiery sermons and his ability to disappear into the landscape. He was eventually captured and exiled, but he escaped and returned to Scotland, only dying a natural death in 1686. His grave became a pilgrimage site. Luna: And what about the women? I've heard of the Wigtown Martyrs. Lucas: Yes, that's one of the most haunting stories. In 1685, two women — Margaret MacLauchlan, aged about 63, and Margaret Wilson, aged about 18 — were condemned to death for refusing to renounce the Covenant. They were tied to stakes in the tidal flats of Wigtown Bay and drowned as the tide came in. The younger Margaret was offered a reprieve if she'd pray for the king, but she refused. Her last words were reportedly 'I am the Lord's prisoner.' Luna: That's heartbreaking. And it really happened? Lucas: The records are clear. There's a monument to them in Wigtown. And they weren't the only women — many others were imprisoned, fined, or executed. The persecution targeted entire families. Children were taken from their parents and placed in 'godly' homes. It was a systematic attempt to crush a religious movement. Lucas: But the Covenanters also radicalized. In 1680, a group issued the Sanquhar Declaration, formally 'disowning' Charles II as king because he had broken the Covenant. That was open treason. The government responded by prosecuting anyone associated with it. One of the signatories, Richard Cameron, was killed in a skirmish soon after. His head and hands were displayed in Edinburgh. Luna: So how did it end? Lucas: The Killing Times effectively ended with the Glorious Revolution of 1688. When James VII was deposed and William of Orange took the throne, Presbyterianism was restored in Scotland. In 1690, the Presbyterian Church was formally reestablished. But the scars remained. The Covenanters' graves, marked with carved stones bearing initials and dates, dot the countryside in Dumfries and Galloway. They're still maintained by locals. Luna: It's amazing that such a fierce struggle is so little known outside Scotland. Lucas: It's one of those episodes that shaped Scottish identity — the idea of a people standing up for their faith against a powerful state. The Covenanters didn't win in the field, but they won in the long run. Their legacy is in the Presbyterian Church that still exists today, and in the principle that conscience can't be forced. It's a powerful, painful story. Lucas: And there's a personal side too. Many ordinary people risked everything to shelter Covenanters. If you were caught hiding a fugitive, you could be executed. That kind of solidarity forged deep bonds. Some of the most moving records are the letters prisoners wrote to their families before execution — full of faith and farewells. Luna: I'd love to read some of those letters. Lucas: They're preserved in archives and some have been published. One is from a man named James Renwick, the last Covenanter leader executed, in 1688, just months before the revolution. On the scaffold, he said, 'I am the Lord's, and I am not ashamed of my cause.' That sums up the Covenanters' spirit. Lucas: So the Killing Times are a reminder that Scotland's story isn't just about kings and battles — it's about ordinary people willing to die for their beliefs. It's a sobering chapter, but it's one that tells us a lot about what Scotland was, and what it became.