The Records of the Parliaments of Scotland to 1707, K.M. Brown et al eds (St Andrews, 2007-2024), date accessed: 24 April 2024

[A1570/10/2]1

Legislation: additional statutes cited in non-parliamentary sources

[Ratification of the authority of Matthew Stewart, earl of Lennox, regent]

[A1570/10/3]2

[Ratification of the liberties of the church and the Protestant faith]

[A1570/10/4]3

[Two months' truce granted to the supporters of Mary]

[A1570/10/5]4

[Continuation of parliament to January 1571]

1571, 21 January, Edinburgh, Parliament

Additional Source

A continuation of the 10 October 1570 meeting, this session of parliament was scheduled to begin in mid January. On 1 January Elizabeth I ordered Matthew Stewart, earl of Lennox, regent, to dissolve parliament, and he replied on 11 January that he had done so. See CSP Sco., iii, 460 and 463. However, Pitscottie notes that parliament did meet and agreed to send James Douglas, earl of Morton and 'certane uthir lordis' as ambassadors to England 'for the pairt of the king and regent'. See R. Lindsay of Pitscottie, Historie and Cronicles of Scotland, ed. Æ. J. G. Mackay (3 vols, Scottish Text Society, 1899-1911), ii, p.244. No official record is known to have survived.

1571, 14 May, Canongate, Parliament

Additional Sources

Known as the 'creeping-parliament', so called because the attendees had to dodge shot from the guns of Edinburgh Castle then under occupation by the queen's adherents, this session held by the king's party forfeited a number of Mary's supporters, including Gavin Hamilton, abbot of Kilwinning, William Maitland of Lethington, John Maitland of Thirlestane, prior of Coldingham, Master Thomas Maitland, his brother, and William Hamilton, son of the late John Hamilton, archbishop of St Andrews. Parliament was then continued until August. See D. Calderwood, History of the Kirk of Scotland, ed. T. Thomson and D. Laing (8 vols, Wodrow Society, 1843-9), iii, p.78; Diurnal of Remarkable Occurrents that have passed within the Realm of Scotland since the Death of King James the Fourth till the year 1575, ed. T. Thomson (Bannatyne Club, 1833), pp.214-15; Lord Herries, Historical memoirs of the reign of Mary Queen of Scots, and a portion of the reign of King James the Sixth, ed. R. Pitcairn (Abbotsford Club, 1836), p.136. No official record is known to have survived.

1571, 14 May, 10 or 12 June and 26 August, Edinburgh, Parliament

Additional Sources

Held at the same time as the rival parliament in the Canongate, the queen's party convened on 14 May in Edinburgh tolbooth and adjourned their meeting until 10 or 12 June. At the June session two measures were enacted: firstly, the abdication of Mary was annulled and her authority restored; secondly, the Protestant religion was ratified. See D. Calderwood, History of the Kirk of Scotland, ed. T. Thomson and D. Laing (8 vols, Wodrow Society, 1843-9), iii, pp.77-8, 91-6. Reconvening on 26 August, over 200 forfeitures were enacted, including those of James Douglas, earl of Morton, Patrick Lindsay, lord Lindsay of the Byres, William Ruthven, lord Ruthven, John Lyon, lord Glamis, Alexander Home of Huttonhall, Alexander Home of Manderston, James Home of Cowdenknowes, Sir Walter Kerr of Cessford and Andrew Kerr of Faldonside. No detailed list of the rest of the forfeitures survives. See Calderwood, History of the Kirk of Scotland, iii, p.136, and Diurnal of Remarkable Occurrents that have passed within the Realm of Scotland since the Death of King James the Fourth till the year 1575, ed. T. Thomson (Bannatyne Club, 1833), pp.235-7. No official record is known to have survived.

  1. Diurnal of Remarkable Occurrents that have passed within the Realm of Scotland since the Death of King James the Fourth till the year 1575, ed. T. Thomson (Bannatyne Club, Edinburgh, 1833), pp.190-1.
  2. Diurnal of Remarkable Occurrents that have passed within the Realm of Scotland since the Death of King James the Fourth till the year 1575, ed. T. Thomson (Bannatyne Club, Edinburgh, 1833), p.191.
  3. D. Calderwood, History of the Kirk of Scotland, ed. T Thomson and D. Laing (8 vols, Wodrow Society, 1843-9), iii, p.18.
  4. D. Calderwood, History of the Kirk of Scotland, ed. T Thomson and D. Laing (8 vols, Wodrow Society, 1843-9), iii, p.18; Diurnal of Remarkable Occurrents that have passed within the Realm of Scotland since the Death of King James the Fourth till the year 1575, ed. T. Thomson (Bannatyne Club, Edinburgh, 1833), p.191.