July 1st 1606

The Red Parliament

Accordingly, on July 1st, the members met outside the lodgings of the Lord Commissioner in Perth to proceed to the Parliament House in High Street. The previous April, an order had been promulgated “that the hail marquisses and earls of this Kingdom sall leave off their former resolution anent the wearing of velvet robes in time of parliament and that they sall provide themselves with robes of red scarlet cloth.”  The magnificence made such an impression on the spectators that the Parliament was called ever afterwards, the red Parliament.

The Archbishops and Bishops occupied a prominent place in the procession, riding on horseback through the streets, except for the Bishop of Aberdeen who expressed conscientious scruples about appearing in such a parade and proceeded to the Parliament on foot. It was an action that so enraged his fellow Bishops that they successfully petitioned to have him expelled from his seat and he was unable to take part in the deliberations.

The pomp and ceremony was indeed impressive but the presence of the Bishops offended many. “This was called the Rid Parliament……becaus all the Nobillmen and Officers of estait com ryding thairto, and sat thairin with rid gownes and hoodis, eftir the maner of England, for ane new solemnitie; quilk many did interpret a toakine of the rid fyre of Godis wraith to be kendelit baith upone kirk and countrie.” 

From the King’s point of view it was a very satisfactory session. The Parliament passed a bill imposing a national taxation of 400,000 merks, they agreed to the restitution of the Bishops and declared that the King’s prerogative extended “over all estates, persons and causes whatsoever…”  An Act sufficiently comprehensive to enable King James to assume what were virtually dictatorial powers.

There were one or two minor difficulties. Andrew Melville obtained admission to Parliament House. “He was sent to and commanded to depart; which notwithstanding he did not till he had made all that saw and heard him understand his purpose.”  (Which was to make the Estates aware that he and his Presbyterian clergy strongly disapproved this return to Episcopacy.)

The Bishops themselves were huffed that they were placed between the Lords and Earls in the procession at the end of the session. They believed that they should have taken precedence over both Lords and Earls and been immediately behind the Marquisses. As a token of their disapproval they refused to join the closing procession “but went quietlie on foote to the parliament house.” 

But did they not censure the Bishop of Aberdeen for doing just that? Yes they did, but presumably they felt that the circumstances were rather different.

Lastly there was a street battle between the followers of the Earl of Glencairn and those of the Earl of Winton. It caused a certain amount of local scandal and there were a few wounded, but eventually peace was restored between the two factions.

And “the rid fyre of Godis wraith”  which was to be “kendelit baith upon kirk and countrie?”  Well, there was the great flood which destroyed the bridge across the Tay. Many ascribed this judgement to the Red Parliament.

But if this was a judgement, it was some fifteen years before the sentence was carried out.