4 - Laud, the Scottish Crisis and the First Bishops’ War, 1637–39

Summary

‘The Archbishop of Canterbury … is universally considered the sole adviser of the King about the disturbances of Scotland.’ So reported Francesco Zonca, Venetian secretary in England, in April 1638. Zonca's next comment, that Laud was, as a result, ‘trying to exonerate himself … from this deeply rooted opinion’, affirms the archbishop's strategy of disengaging from unpopular policies, a tactic encountered in the previous chapter. So effective was Laud at disassociating himself that even scholars have succumbed to his spin, arguing that his influence was on the wane by 1638. To test this view, the present chapter will investigate Laud's contribution to the negotiations between crown and Covenanters in 1638; the aim is to show that he was closely engaged with the handling of the Scottish crisis as it unfolded, providing an integral link between Charles and James, 3rd Marquis of Hamilton, during this crucial period. An examination of the triangular relationship between king, archbishop and marquis reveals Laud's part in the provision of royal counsel during perhaps the most important year in the king's reign.

The analysis in this chapter is sub-divided into three parts, mirroring the course of events, as well as the surviving evidence, and it follows a chronological course, since this is the most effective way of mapping the archbishop's influence against the complex progress of the negotiations. The chapter's first section is concerned with the period from the prayer book riots in July 1637 to the initial signing of the National Covenant in February 1638. In this initial phase, little was done to prevent opposition from growing, although Charles was kept abreast of developments via the usual channels of the Scottish Privy Council, mainly through John Stewart, 1st Earl of Traquair, and Robert Kerr, 1st Earl of Roxburgh. Hamilton and James, 1st Duke of Lennox, were the key lay advisers in London. The second section will explore the period from May, when the king appointed Hamilton as royal commissioner, to the end of the Glasgow Assembly in December 1638. After Hamilton's appointment, the process of resolving the mounting crisis can be charted through his correspondence with Laud and Charles.