The Minutes of the Synod of Lothian and Tweeddale, 1648-1659

In the summer of 1650, an English army led by Oliver Cromwell crossed the River Tweed and invaded Scotland. Within less than a year, Edinburgh had fallen to the invading force and Presbyterian ministers across the Central Belt either fled to safer ground or remained to preach against Cromwell’s agenda. The invasion brought with it ideas of a new religious settlement, a reorganisation of the civil administration of Scotland and a large body of men that needed housing, food and discipline. The Synod of Lothian and Tweeddale was one of the most senior ecclesiastical meetings in Scotland to face the English invasion. The meticulous record keeping of its scribes allows an insight into the local response, showing the complexity and negotiation of ecclesiastical government in wartime. The Synod took on a new significance during the 1650s by marshaling the national response to the English invasion, organising charitable events for those captured abroad and ensuring that ministers across the region maintained orthodoxy in such a difficult time. The minutes, previously scattered, are painstakingly stitched together in this volume, and are presented with full introduction and explanatory notes. Christopher R. Langley is Senior Lecturer in Early Modern British History at Newman University, Birmingham.