The Incident was a

Royalist A royalist supports a particular monarch as head of state for a particular kingdom, or of a particular dynastic claim. In the abstract, this position is royalism. It is distinct from monarchism, which advocates a monarchical system of gove ...

plot to kidnap a group of Scottish nobles. The Incident took place in October 1641 during the

Wars of the Three Kingdoms The Wars of the Three Kingdoms were a series of conflicts fought between 1639 and 1653 in the kingdoms of Kingdom of England, England, Kingdom of Scotland, Scotland and Kingdom of Ireland, Ireland, then separate entities in a personal union un ...

, and the plot's targets were all prominent members of the

Presbyterian Presbyterianism is a historically Reformed Protestant tradition named for its form of church government by representative assemblies of elders, known as "presbyters". Though other Reformed churches are structurally similar, the word ''Pr ...

Covenanter Covenanters were members of a 17th-century Scottish religious and political movement, who supported a Presbyterian Church of Scotland and the primacy of its leaders in religious affairs. It originated in disputes with James VI and his son C ...

faction who opposed Charles I's attempts to control the Scottish Church. The plot failed and Charles, denying any involvement in the matter, was left with no option but to agree to the Covenanters' demands that he assented to the abolition of

episcopacy A bishop is an ordained member of the clergy who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance and administration of dioceses. The role ...

in Scotland, and appoint Covenanting nobles to the

Privy Council of Scotland The Privy Council of Scotland ( — 1 May 1708) was a body that advised the Scottish monarch. During its existence, the Privy Council of Scotland was essentially considered as the government of the Kingdom of Scotland, and was seen as the most ...

and other positions.

History

Charles I, King of England and of Scotland, had been forced to agree a truce with the Covenanters, to conclude the

Bishops' Wars The Bishops' Wars were two separate conflicts fought in 1639 and 1640 between Scotland and England, with Scottish Royalists allied to England. They were the first of the Wars of the Three Kingdoms, which also include the First and Second En ...

of 1639–1640. In August 1641 he ratified the Treaty of London, and travelled to

Edinburgh Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. The city is located in southeast Scotland and is bounded to the north by the Firth of Forth and to the south by the Pentland Hills. Edinburgh ...

to finalise negotiations with the

Scottish Parliament The Scottish Parliament ( ; ) is the Devolution in the United Kingdom, devolved, unicameral legislature of Scotland. It is located in the Holyrood, Edinburgh, Holyrood area of Edinburgh, and is frequently referred to by the metonym 'Holyrood'. ...

. Charles hoped to make common cause with the

Earl of Argyll Earl () is a rank of the nobility in the United Kingdom. In modern Britain, an earl is a member of the peerage, ranking below a marquess and above a viscount. A feminine form of ''earl'' never developed; instead, ''countess'' is used. The titl ...

, the effective leader of the Presbyterian Covenanters, against the English

Long Parliament The Long Parliament was an Parliament of England, English Parliament which lasted from 1640 until 1660, making it the longest-lasting Parliament in English and British history. It followed the fiasco of the Short Parliament, which had convened f ...

, and created him Marquis of Argyll. The Marquis of Hamilton, while remaining a Royalist, sought to develop a friendship with the Marquis of Argyll. It is not clear how much Charles I approved of this liaison, but many in the Scottish Royalist faction felt threatened by this development. On the evening of 29 September, Lord Henry Ker (the son of the Earl of Roxburgh), rode into Edinburgh at the head of an armed retinue and challenged Hamilton to a duel, calling him a traitor. The episode ended without violence as Lord Ker backed down and apologised. However it set in motion murmurs and whispers amongst others Royalists which led to plotting. The plot was directed against the Marquis of Argyll, the Marquis of Hamilton, and the latter's brother, the Earl of Lanark. It was hatched by the Royalist, and rival of Argyll, the Earl of Montrose, who had already attempted to have Argyll charged with

high treason Treason is the crime of attacking a state authority to which one owes allegiance. This typically includes acts such as participating in a war against one's native country, attempting to overthrow its government, spying on its military, its d ...

. The three were to be kidnapped and taken on board a ship at

Leith Leith (; ) is a port area in the north of Edinburgh, Scotland, founded at the mouth of the Water of Leith and is home to the Port of Leith. The earliest surviving historical references are in the royal charter authorising the construction of ...

, but on 11 October, General Leslie, the leader of the Covenanter army, was informed of the plot by Sir John Hurry, a Scottish soldier who had been invited to join the conspiracy. Argyll, Hamilton and Lanark were forced to flee from Edinburgh to Hamilton's property at Kinneil House, near Bo'ness.George F. Warner, ''Nicholas Papers'', vol. 1 (London: Camden Society, 1886) p. 56. The next day, Charles denied any involvement in the plot, and was soon forced to allow an investigation into the matter. Charles was left with no option but to submit to the Covenanters' demands. He assented to the abolition of

episcopal polity An episcopal polity is a hierarchical form of church governance in which the chief local authorities are called bishops. The word "bishop" here is derived via the British Latin and Vulgar Latin term ''*ebiscopus''/''*biscopus'', . It is the ...

in Scotland, and appointed Covenanting nobles to the

and other positions, before returning to England in November to face the increasing threat of civil war.

Notes

References

* * ** ** ** * {{DEFAULTSORT:Incident, The Scotland in the Wars of the Three Kingdoms 1641 in Scotland Conspiracies Kidnappings in the United Kingdom Charles I of England