BattlefieldsNational Covenant Signing at Greyfriars Edinburgh 1638
English Civil War

National Covenant Signing at Greyfriars Edinburgh 1638

1638
Midlothian, Scotland
Also known as: National Covenant 1638 Edinburgh · Greyfriars Covenant signing
Era
English Civil War
Battle Type
Skirmish
Location
Midlothian, Scotland
Status
Unregistered
The Combatants

Who Fought

Defeated
Crown (Charles I)
VS
Victor
Covenanters
Outcome
National Covenant signed by thousands at Greyfriars Kirk February 1638; spread across Scotland within weeks; created constitutional basis for resistance to royal religious policy
The Battle

History & Significance

The signing of the National Covenant at Greyfriars Kirkyard on 28 February 1638 was the founding constitutional act of the Covenanting movement. Thousands signed it in Edinburgh and copies circulated across Scotland gathering further signatures. The Covenant was both a religious document defending Presbyterian church government and a constitutional one asserting Scottish rights. It created the legal and moral framework for the Bishops Wars.

Forces Involved

The size of the opposing forces is not recorded in the surviving sources.

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Sources