83-641: The Orkney Museum , formerly Tankerness House Museum , is a history museum in Kirkwall , Orkney , Scotland. Run by Orkney Islands Council , the museum covers the history of the Orkney Islands from the Stone Age through the Picts and Vikings to the present day. The museum was founded in 1968 as Tankerness House Museum and in 1999 changed its name to The Orkney Museum. Items in the collection include
166-690: A Burgh commissioner to the Parliament of Scotland . After Union with England it combined with other towns to form the Northern Burghs , sending a single MP to Parliament . In 1918, the Parliamentary Burgh of Kirkwall merged into Orkney and Shetland . On the western edge of the town, surrounded by Hatston Industrial Estate, there is a prehistoric monument, known as the "Grain Earth House" (see Historic Scotland ). It
249-577: A 1973 documentary about Prince Charles ' visit to the Highlands and Islands, directed by Oscar Marzaroli . Scottish film-maker Margaret Tait was born in Kirkwall, and many of her films (in particular the Aspects of Kirkwall series) are set there. Long-running The Simpsons character Groundskeeper Willie was born in Kirkwall. Kirkwall has many 17th–18th-century houses and other structures in
332-550: A Parcel of Rogues in a Nation." As historian Christopher Whatley points out, this was actually a 17th-century Scots folk song; but he agrees money was paid, though suggests the economic benefits were supported by most Scots MPs, with the promises made for benefits to peers and MPs, even if it was reluctantly. Professor Sir Tom Devine agreed that promises of "favours, sinecures, pensions, offices and straightforward cash bribes became indispensable to secure government majorities". As for representation going forwards, Scotland was, in
415-531: A Union, "honours, appointments, pensions and even arrears of pay and other expenses were distributed to clinch support from Scottish peers and MPs". The Scottish economy was severely impacted by privateers during the 1688–1697 Nine Years' War and the 1701 War of the Spanish Succession , with the Royal Navy focusing on protecting English ships. This compounded the economic pressure caused by
498-580: A guarantee that the Hanoverian dynasty would succeed Queen Anne to the Scottish crown, and Scotland received a guarantee of access to colonial markets, in the hope that they would be placed on an equal footing in terms of trade. After negotiations ended in July 1706, the acts had to be ratified by both Parliaments. In Scotland, about 100 of the 227 members of the Parliament of Scotland were supportive of
581-469: A joint Commission to agree terms, but Parliament of England was concerned this would lead to an absolutist structure similar to that of Scotland. James was forced to withdraw his proposals, but used the royal prerogative to take the title "King of Great Britain". Attempts to revive the project of union in 1610 were met with hostility. English opponents such as Sir Edwin Sandys argued that changing
664-491: A large bench built in the courtyard, the 'dole's seat', where beggars would wait to receive alms from Foulzie. In 1642 the buildings were sold by Foulzie's descendants to John Baikie of Tankerness , with the properties becoming known as Tankerness House and remaining part of the Baikie family estate for three centuries. The Baikies later built an additional wing, the west wing, in 1680 and the south-west gable in 1722. In 1951
747-577: A large number of Whigs who supported union. Tories were not in favour of union and only one was represented among the commissioners. Negotiations between the English and Scottish commissioners took place between 16 April and 22 July 1706 at the Cockpit in London. Each side had its own particular concerns. Within a few days, and with only one face to face meeting of all 62 commissioners, England had gained
830-691: A number of key amendments. News of the ratification and of the amendments was received in Westminster, where the Act was passed quickly through both Houses and received the royal assent on 6 March. Though the English Act was later in date, it bore the year '1706' while Scotland's was '1707', as the legal year in England began only on 25 March . In Scotland, the Duke of Queensberry was largely responsible for
913-424: A predominantly agrarian society, and the lack of manpower caused by previous conflicts contributed to an underwhelming agricultural output, which intermittently escalated into local food shortages or famines. In turn, the overreliance of Scottish landowners on foreign goods led to a deficit of financial capital, as gold and silver were exported overseas and deflation occurred. The Scottish Parliament attempted to combat
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#1732772446707996-415: A purpose-built building that opened in 2000. The ' Kirk ' of Kirkwall was not the cathedral (which was originally at Birsay ), but the 11th-century church of Saint Olaf of Norway. One late medieval doorway survives from this church, and an aumbry from the original church survives within the late 19th-century structure of the present-day Saint Olaf's Church ( Episcopal ) in the town's Dundas Crescent. At
1079-597: A similar Act, 6 Ann. c. 8. Soon after the Union, the Act 6 Ann. c. 40—later named the Union with Scotland (Amendment) Act 1707 —united the Privy Council of England and Privy Council of Scotland and decentralised Scottish administration by appointing justices of the peace in each shire to carry out administration. In effect it took the day-to-day government of Scotland out of the hands of politicians and into those of
1162-469: A successor and explicitly required a choice different from the English monarch unless the English were to grant free trade and navigation. Then the Alien Act 1705 was passed in the English parliament, designating Scots in England as "foreign nationals" and blocking about half of all Scottish trade by boycotting exports to England or its colonies, unless Scotland came back to negotiate a Union. To encourage
1245-539: A wider European context of increasing state centralisation during the late 17th and early 18th centuries, including the monarchies of France , Sweden , Denmark-Norway and Spain . While there were exceptions, such as the Dutch Republic or the Republic of Venice , the trend was clear. The dangers of the monarch using one parliament against the other first became apparent in 1647 and 1651. It resurfaced during
1328-594: Is a Marina, and support for fishing and dive vessels. After extensive work on harbour facilities, the town has become a popular cruise ship stop, with several ships arriving each week in the season. This has added to the prosperity of the town and allowed a thriving sector of independently owned shops. Each year now, 140 cruise ships visit Kirkwall and Stromness. Weaving in Orkney took place from Viking times, with John Sclater & Co involved in Tweed production in Kirkwall in
1411-556: Is a short, low, stone-walled passage, deep underground, leading to a small pillared chamber. This kind of earth house (or " souterrain ") is characteristic of the Northern Isles (although the Grain Earth House is unusually deep below ground). It was originally connected to a surface dwelling, which has since disappeared. The purpose of these Iron Age structures remains unknown. Further west, towards Grimbister, there
1494-420: Is a similar structure, known as Rennibister Earth House . Kirkwall is the administrative centre of Orkney, and the site of the headquarters of both Orkney Islands Council and NHS Orkney . Although sometimes referred to as "The City and Royal Burgh of Kirkwall" Kirkwall is not technically a city. Kirkwall is 130 miles (210 kilometres) north of Aberdeen and 528 mi (850 km) north of London. It
1577-494: Is generally cooler than the rest of the UK in the summer. The exception is that Kirkwall tends to be warmer than Shetland , being closer to mainland Scotland. The population of Kirkwall is continuously on the rise. The population rose from 6,205 in 2001 to 9,293 in 2011 to reach an estimated 10,020 in 2020. Kirkwall harbour with nearly 1 kilometre (0.6 mi) of quay edge is the second commercial hub for Orkney after Hatston. There
1660-515: Is located in a Category C listed building, possibly the former harbour master 's office, on Junction Road. Orkney Tourist Board is located in an 18th-century Category B listed building on Broad Street. There is a Royal National Lifeboat Institution lifeboat station. One of the major annual events in the town is the Ba Game , held each Christmas Day and New Year's Day between the Uppies and
1743-467: Is situated on the northern coast of Mainland, Orkney , with its harbours in the bay of Kirkwall to the north, and with Scapa Flow 1.4 mi (2.3 km) to the south. Its parish, St Ola , forms the isthmus between Firth and Holm . It is the most populous island settlement in Scotland. Kirkwall has an oceanic climate ( Cfb ), with a strong maritime influence on its temperature. As a result, it
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#17327724467071826-727: The College of Justice . On 18 December 1707 the Act for better Securing the Duties of East India Goods was passed which extended the monopoly of the East India Company to Scotland. In the year following the Union, the Treason Act 1708 abolished the Scottish law of treason and extended the corresponding English law across Great Britain. Scotland benefited, says historian G.N. Clark , gaining "freedom of trade with England and
1909-665: The Commonwealth of England , the Kirk Party proclaimed Charles II King of Scotland and England, and in 1650 agreed to restore him to the English throne. In 1653, defeat in the Anglo-Scottish War resulted in Scotland's incorporation into the Commonwealth, largely driven by Cromwell's determination to break the power of the kirk. The 1652 Tender of Union was followed on 12 April 1654 by An Ordinance by
1992-783: The Court Party . For extra votes the pro-court side could rely on about 25 members of the Squadrone Volante , led by the James Graham, 4th Marquess of Montrose and John Ker, 1st Duke of Roxburghe . Opponents of the court were generally known as the Country party , and included various factions and individuals such as the James Hamilton, 4th Duke of Hamilton , John Hamilton, Lord Belhaven and Andrew Fletcher of Saltoun , who spoke forcefully and passionately against
2075-510: The Darien scheme , and the seven ill years of the 1690s, when 5–15% of the population died of starvation. The Scottish Parliament was promised financial assistance, protection for its maritime trade, and an end to economic restrictions on trade with England. The votes of the Court party, influenced by Queen Anne's favourite, James Douglas, 2nd Duke of Queensberry , combined with the majority of
2158-536: The Declaration of Arbroath of 1320." Ferguson highlights the well-timed payments of salary arrears to members of Parliament as proof of bribery and argues that the Scottish people had been betrayed by their Parliament. Ireland , though a kingdom under the same crown, was not included in the union. It remained a separate kingdom, unrepresented in Parliament, and was legally subordinate to Great Britain until
2241-590: The First English Civil War began in 1642, before becoming concerned at the impact on Scotland of a Royalist victory. Presbyterian leaders like Argyll viewed union as a way to ensure free trade between England and Scotland, and preserve a Presbyterian kirk. Under the 1643 Solemn League and Covenant , the Scots agreed to provide Parliament military support in return for a united Presbyterian church, but did not explicitly commit to political union. As
2324-682: The Orkneyinga saga , it is today the location of the headquarters of the Orkney Islands Council and a transport hub with ferries to many locations. It is the centre of the St Magnus International Festival and is also a popular stopping off point for cruise ships. St Magnus Cathedral stands at the heart of the town. The name Kirkwall comes from the Norse name Kirkjuvágr meaning "church bay",
2407-432: The Parliament of England and the Parliament of Scotland in 1706, consisted of 25 articles, 15 of which were economic in nature. In Scotland, each article was voted on separately and several clauses in articles were delegated to specialised subcommittees. Article 1 of the treaty was based on the political principle of an incorporating union and this was secured by a majority of 116 votes to 83 on 4 November 1706. To minimise
2490-574: The Parliament of Great Britain , based in the Palace of Westminster . The two countries had shared a monarch since the Union of the Crowns in 1603, when James VI of Scotland inherited the English throne from his cousin Elizabeth I . Attempts had been made in 1606, 1667, and 1689 to unite the two countries, but it was not until the early 18th century that both political establishments came to support
2573-622: The Peerage of Scotland to sit in the House of Lords . It guaranteed that the Church of Scotland would remain the established church in Scotland, that the Court of Session would "remain in all time coming within Scotland", and that Scots law would "remain in the same force as before". Other provisions included the restatement of the Act of Settlement 1701 and the ban on Roman Catholics from taking
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2656-481: The Renunciation Act of 1783 . In July 1707 each House of the Parliament of Ireland passed a congratulatory address to Queen Anne, praying that "May God put it in your royal heart to add greater strength and lustre to your crown, by a still more comprehensive Union". The British government did not respond to the invitation and an equal union between Great Britain and Ireland was out of consideration until
2739-455: The Squadrone Volante , were sufficient to ensure passage of the treaty. Article 15 granted £398,085 and ten shillings sterling to Scotland, a sum known as The Equivalent , to offset future liability towards the English national debt, which at the time was £18 million, but as Scotland had no national debt, most of the sum was used to compensate the investors in the Darien scheme, with 58.6% of
2822-456: The alliance with France gave Scotland privileges that further encouraged developing cultural and economic ties with the continent rather than England. The union of 1603 only served the political and dynastic ambitions of King James and was detrimental to Scotland economically – exports that Scotland offered were largely irrelevant to English economy, and while the Privy Council of Scotland did keep its ability to manage internal economic policy,
2905-686: The 1679 to 1681 Exclusion Crisis , caused by English resistance to the Catholic James II (of England, VII of Scotland) succeeding his brother Charles. James was sent to Edinburgh in 1681 as Lord High Commissioner ; in August, the Scottish Parliament passed the Succession Act, confirming the divine right of kings, the rights of the natural heir "regardless of religion", the duty of all to swear allegiance to that king, and
2988-569: The 1790s. The union with Ireland finally came about on 1 January 1801. Deeper political integration had been a key policy of Queen Anne from the time she acceded to the throne in 1702. Under the aegis of the Queen and her ministers in both kingdoms, the parliaments of England and Scotland (the Act for a Treaty with England 1705 ) agreed to participate in fresh negotiations for a union treaty in 1705. Both countries appointed 31 commissioners to conduct
3071-400: The 1970s. They used the brand names Norsaga and Jarltex. The Orkney Library and Archive is in Kirkwall. Kirkwall also has the most northerly of the world's Carnegie libraries , which was opened by Andrew Carnegie and his wife in 1909. The building survives, although the library has since moved to a larger building on Junction Road which opened in August 2003. The town has two museums,
3154-517: The Baikies sold the house to the local council, and in 1968 the building was restored and opened as the new Tankerness House Museum. The preserved Baikie library and drawing room remain on display. Kirkwall Kirkwall ( Scots : Kirkwa , Kirkwaa , or Kirkwal ; Norn : Kirkavå ) is the largest town in Orkney , an archipelago to the north of mainland Scotland . First mentioned in
3237-559: The Crown far greater control than in England but he withdrew his demands due to the 1689–1692 Jacobite Rising . The English succession was provided for by the English Act of Settlement 1701 , which ensured that the monarch of England would be a Protestant member of the House of Hanover . Until the Union of Parliaments, the Scottish throne might be inherited by a different successor after Queen Anne , who had said in her first speech to
3320-818: The Doonies, each team representing one half of the town. The composer Peter Maxwell Davies was among a group which founded the annual St Magnus International Festival which is centred on Kirkwall each midsummer. Notable music acts such as the Wrigley Sisters and Bryttania formed in Kirkwall. Orkney Theatre, a 384-seat venue, was opened in 2014 next to Kirkwall Grammar School in The Meadows. It has an orchestra pit which can be made available for use by removing two rows of seats. Kirkwall Harbour can be seen in The Highlands and Islands – A Royal Tour ,
3403-667: The English Parliament. Episcopacy in Scotland was abolished in 1690, alienating a significant part of the political class; it was this element that later formed the bedrock of opposition to Union. The 1690s were a time of economic hardship in Europe as a whole and Scotland in particular, a period now known as the Seven ill years which led to strained relations with England. In 1698, the Company of Scotland Trading to Africa and
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3486-406: The English parliament that a Union was "very necessary". The Scottish Act of Security 1704 , however, was passed after the English parliament, without consultation with Scotland, had designated Electoress Sophia of Hanover (granddaughter of James I and VI) as Anne's successor, if Anne died childless. The Act of Security granted the Parliament of Scotland , the three Estates , the right to choose
3569-585: The English throne. After defeat in the 1647–1648 Second English Civil War , Scotland was occupied by English troops, which were withdrawn once those whom Cromwell held responsible had been replaced by the Kirk Party . In December 1648, Pride's Purge paved the way for the Trial of Charles I in England by excluding MPs who opposed it. Following the execution of Charles I in January 1649, and establishment of
3652-519: The Estates") issued an address to William and Mary "as both kingdomes are united in one head and soveraigne so they may become one body pollitick, one nation to be represented in one parliament", reserving "our church government, as it shall be established at the tyme of the union". William and Mary were supportive of the idea but it was opposed both by the Presbyterian majority in Scotland and
3735-562: The Indies received a charter to raise capital through public subscription. The Company invested in the Darién scheme , an ambitious plan funded almost entirely by Scottish investors to build a colony on the Isthmus of Panama for trade with East Asia. The scheme was a disaster; the losses of over £150,000 severely impacted the Scottish commercial system. The Acts of Union may be seen within
3818-584: The Netherlands, and Mary refused to rule without him. In Scotland, conflict over control of the kirk between Presbyterians and Episcopalians and William's position as a fellow Calvinist put him in a much stronger position. He originally insisted on retaining Episcopacy, and the Committee of the Articles , an unelected body that controlled what legislation Parliament could debate. Both would have given
3901-422: The Protector for the Union of England and Scotland, creating the Commonwealth of England, Scotland and Ireland. It was ratified by the Second Protectorate Parliament on 26 June 1657, creating a single Parliament in Westminster, with 30 representatives each from Scotland and Ireland added to the existing English members. While integration into the Commonwealth established free trade between Scotland and England,
3984-502: The Scotland's main trade partners before the union, and the English Navigation Acts severely limited Scottish ability to trade by sea, and made the Scottish ambitions to expand the trade beyond Europe unachievable. Opinion in Scotland at the time was that England was sabotaging Scottish economic expansion. In the years leading to 1707, Scottish economy was lagging behind not only from the impact of wars, but also because of chronic deflation and industrial underdevelopment. Scotland remained
4067-558: The Scottish historian Christopher Smout , prior to the Union of the Crowns the Scottish economy had been flourishing completely independently of the English one, with little to no interaction between each other. Developing a closer economic partnership with England was unsustainable, and Scotland's main trade partner was continental Europe, especially the Netherlands , where Scotland could trade its wool and fish for luxurious imports such as iron, spices or wine. Scotland and England were generally hostile to each other and were often at war, and
4150-425: The Union of the Crowns and asserted the need to renegotiate this union. During this period, the Darien failure, the succession issue and the Worcester seizure all provided opportunities for Scottish writers to attack the Court Party as unpatriotic and reaffirm the need to fight for true interests of Scotland. According to Scottish historian William Ferguson , the Acts of Union were a "political job" by England that
4233-412: The Viking 'dragon' whalebone plaque from the Scar boat burial , a Pictish symbol stone from the Knowe of Burrian, and the wooden box in which the remains of Saint Magnus Erlendsson were kept. The museum is housed within Tankerness House, a Category A listed former townhouse complex centred around a courtyard and sited opposite St Magnus Cathedral in central Kirkwall. The house is considered one of
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#17327724467074316-401: The bells in the tune "Why should I be so sad on my wedding day?" Threats of widespread civil unrest resulted in Parliament imposing martial law . Virtually all of the print discourses of 1699–1706 spoke against incorporating union, creating the conditions for wide spread rejection of the treaty in 1706 and 1707. Country party tracts condemned English influence within the existing framework of
4399-514: The colonies" as well as "a great expansion of markets". The agreement guaranteed the permanent status of the Presbyterian church in Scotland, and the separate system of laws and courts in Scotland. Clark argued that in exchange for the financial benefits and bribes that England bestowed, what it gained was of inestimable value. Scotland accepted the Hanoverian succession and gave up her power of threatening England's military security and complicating her commercial relations ... The sweeping successes of
4482-423: The cost of being increasingly dependent on trade with England. A power struggle developed between Scotland and England in the 1680s, as Scotland recovered from the political turmoil and set on its own economic ambitions, which London considered a threat to its dominant and well-established position. English wars with continental powers undermined Scottish trade with France and the Netherlands, countries that used to be
4565-409: The desire to ensure free trade. Continued opposition meant these negotiations were abandoned by the end of 1669. Following the Glorious Revolution of 1688, a Scottish Convention met in Edinburgh in April 1689 to agree a new constitutional settlement; during which the Scottish Bishops backed a proposed union in an attempt to preserve Episcopalian control of the kirk. The parliament ("Convention of
4648-471: The economic benefits were diminished by the costs of military occupation. Both Scotland and England associated union with heavy taxes and military rule; it had little popular support in either country, and was dissolved after the Restoration of Charles II in 1660. The Scottish economy was badly damaged by the English Navigation Acts of 1660 and 1663 and England's wars with the Dutch Republic , Scotland's major export market. An Anglo-Scots Trade Commission
4731-423: The eighteenth-century wars owed much to the new unity of the two nations. By the time Samuel Johnson and James Boswell made their tour in 1773, recorded in A Journey to the Western Islands of Scotland , Johnson noted that Scotland was "a nation of which the commerce is hourly extending, and the wealth increasing" and in particular that Glasgow had become one of the greatest cities of Britain. According to
4814-448: The foreign policy of Scotland was now in English hands. This limited Scotland's hitherto expansive trade with continental Europe, and forced it into English wars. While the Scottish economy already suffered because of English wars with France and Spain in the 1620s, the civil wars in England had a particularly disastrous effect on Scotland and left it relatively impoverished as a result. The economy would slowly recover afterwards, but at
4897-472: The fund allocated to its shareholders and creditors. The role played by bribery has long been debated. £20,000 was distributed by David Boyle, 1st Earl of Glasgow , of which 60% went to the Duke of Queensberry, the Queen's Commissioner in Parliament . Another negotiator, John Campbell, 2nd Duke of Argyll was given an English dukedom . Robert Burns is commonly quoted in support of the argument of corruption: "We're bought and sold for English Gold, Such
4980-487: The heart of the town stands St Magnus Cathedral , which was founded in memory of Saint Magnus Erlendsson, Earl of Orkney 1108–1117 by Earl (later Saint) Rögnvald Kali . Next to the cathedral are the ruins of the former Bishop's Palace and Earl's Palace . The Pickaquoy Centre , Orkney's largest leisure centre, is located in Kirkwall, which opened in 1999. Kirkwall Grammar School Sports Centre has indoor sports facilities, and grass and synthetic pitches, available to
5063-434: The idea, albeit for different reasons. Prior to 1603, England and Scotland had different monarchs, but when Elizabeth I died without children, she was succeeded by her distant relative, James VI of Scotland . After her death, the two Crowns were held in personal union by James (reigning as James VI and I ), who announced his intention to unite the two realms. The 1603 Union of England and Scotland Act established
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#17327724467075146-546: The independence of the Scottish Crown. It then went beyond ensuring James's succession to the Scottish throne by explicitly stating the aim was to make his exclusion from the English throne impossible without "the fatall and dreadfull consequences of a civil war". The issue reappeared during the 1688 Glorious Revolution . The English Parliament generally supported replacing James with his Protestant daughter Mary , but resisted making her Dutch husband William of Orange joint ruler. They gave way only when he threatened to return to
5229-418: The larger being The Orkney Museum in Tankerness House, which contains items of local historical interest within one of Scotland's best-preserved 16th-century town-houses . It is a Category A listed building Scotland . The prehistoric , Pictish and Viking collections are of international importance. The other museum is the Orkney Wireless Museum , dealing with the history of radio and recorded sound. It
5312-468: The local vernacular style . Kirkwall Town Hall was completed in 1884. Kirkwall is a port with ferry services to Aberdeen and Lerwick , as well as the principal north islands in the group. Hatson pier, the main ferry terminal, is some 2 mi (3 km) outside the town centre. The Aberdeen, Leith, Clyde & Tay Shipping Company operated steamer services to Kirkwall from 1836, with successor companies operating until 2002. Kirkwall Airport ,
5395-417: The main airport for Orkney , is 2 + 1 ⁄ 2 mi (4 km) southeast of the town. There are no passenger rail services in Kirkwall, the nearby railways having been industrial or military. The oldest school in Kirkwall, Kirkwall Grammar School , has been established since circa 1200. The current school building was opened in 2014. The Orkney College main campus is situated in Kirkwall, in
5478-491: The most important early townhouses in Scotland. The earliest parts of the building (the north and south wings) were constructed in the 1530s as two separate houses that served as manses for the cathedral. Following the Scottish Reformation the houses were purchased from the church by the archdeacon Gilbert Foulzie, who in 1574 built an additional wing (the east wing) and the entrance archway facing onto Broad Street which bears his coat of arms and Latin inscriptions. He also had
5561-419: The name of England "were as yf [ sic ] to make a conquest of our name, which was more than ever the Dane or Norman could do". Instead, James set about creating a unified Church of Scotland and England, as the first step towards a centralised, Unionist state. However, despite both being nominally Episcopal in structure, the two were very different in doctrine; the Church of Scotland , or kirk,
5644-425: The negotiations. Most of the Scottish commissioners favoured union, and about half were government ministers and other officials. At the head of the list was the Duke of Queensberry, and the Lord Chancellor of Scotland , the Earl of Seafield . The English commissioners included the Lord High Treasurer , Sidney Godolphin, 1st Earl of Godolphin , the Lord Keeper of the Great Seal , William Cowper, Baron Cowper , and
5727-405: The new united parliament, only to get 45 MPs, one more than Cornwall, and only 16 (unelected) peers in the House of Lords. The Union was carried by members of the Scottish elite against the wishes of the great majority. Sir George Lockhart of Carnwath , the only Scottish negotiator to oppose Union, noted "the whole nation appears against (it)". Another negotiator, Sir John Clerk of Penicuik , who
5810-420: The opposition of the Church of Scotland , an Act was also passed to secure the Presbyterian establishment of the Church, after which the Church stopped its open opposition, although hostility remained at lower levels of the clergy. The treaty as a whole was finally ratified on 16 January 1707 by a majority of 110 votes to 69. The two Acts incorporated provisions for Scotland to send representative peers from
5893-497: The public. Kirkwall is twinned with: Acts of Union 1707 The Acts of Union refer to two Acts of Parliament , one by the Parliament of England in 1706, the other by the Parliament of Scotland in 1707. They put into effect the Treaty of Union agreed on 22 July 1706, which merged the previously separate Kingdom of England and Kingdom of Scotland into a single Kingdom of Great Britain , with Queen Anne as its sovereign. The Acts took effect on 1 May 1707, creating
5976-516: The route was lined with crowds of cheering people, and once he reached London a huge crowd had formed. On 17 April, the Duke was gratefully received by the Queen at Kensington Palace and the Acts came into effect on 1 May 1707. A day of thanksgiving was declared in England and Ireland but not in Scotland, where the bells of St Giles rang out the tune of "why should I be so sad on my wedding day" . The Treaty of Union , agreed between representatives of
6059-463: The settlement having been established by the Norse in the 11th century. As late as 1525 the name is recorded as Kirkevaag. This became in time "Kirkwaa" and then eventually Kirkwall - but how the second syllable came to be spelled "wall" is not certain. MacBain quotes F. W. L. Thomas : "How, I ask, could vágr come to be represented by wall? Whence came the ll ? Was it that Scottish immigrants finding
6142-527: The sound of vá represented it in writing by 'wall,' the ll at first being silent?" The town was first mentioned in the Orkneyinga saga in the year 1046, when it was recorded as the residence of Rögnvald Brusason , the Earl of Orkney , who was killed by his uncle Thorfinn the Mighty . In 1486, King James III of Scotland elevated Kirkwall to the status of a royal burgh , and in time it would return
6225-495: The successful passage of the Union act by the Parliament of Scotland. In Scotland, he was greeted by stones and eggs but in England he was cheered for his action. He had personally received around half of the funding awarded by the Westminster Treasury. In April 1707, he travelled to London to attend celebrations at the royal court, and was greeted by groups of noblemen and gentry lined along the road. From Barnet ,
6308-544: The throne. It also created a customs union and monetary union . The Act provided that any "laws and statutes" that were "contrary to or inconsistent with the terms" of the Act would "cease and become void". The Scottish Parliament also passed the Protestant Religion and Presbyterian Church Act 1707 guaranteeing the status of the Presbyterian Church of Scotland. The English Parliament passed
6391-582: The union, when the Scottish Parliament began its debate on the act on 3 October 1706, but the deal had already been done. The Court party enjoyed significant funding from England and the Treasury and included many who had accumulated debts following the Darien Disaster . The Act ratifying the Treaty of Union was finally carried in the Parliament of Scotland by 110 votes to 69 on 16 January 1707, with
6474-689: The war progressed, Scots and English Presbyterians increasingly viewed the Independents, and associated radical groups like the Levellers , as a bigger threat than the Royalists. Both Royalists and Presbyterians agreed monarchy was divinely ordered, but disagreed on the nature and extent of Royal authority over the church. When Charles I surrendered in 1646, a pro-Royalist faction known as the Engagers allied with their former enemies to restore him to
6557-470: Was Calvinist in doctrine, and viewed many Church of England practices as little better than Catholicism. As a result, attempts to impose religious policy by James and his son Charles I ultimately led to the 1639–1651 Wars of the Three Kingdoms . The 1639–1640 Bishops' Wars confirmed the primacy of the kirk, and established a Covenanter government in Scotland. The Scots remained neutral when
6640-456: Was achieved by economic incentives, patronage and bribery to secure the passage of the Union treaty in the Scottish Parliament in order satisfy English political imperatives, with the union being unacceptable to the Scottish people, including both the Jacobites and Covenanters . The differences between Scottish were "subsumed by the same sort of patriotism or nationalism that first appeared in
6723-513: Was an ardent Unionist, observed it was "contrary to the inclinations of at least three-fourths of the Kingdom". As the seat of the Scottish Parliament, demonstrators in Edinburgh feared the impact of its loss on the local economy. Elsewhere, there was widespread concern about the independence of the kirk, and possible tax rises. As the treaty passed through the Scottish Parliament, opposition
6806-483: Was set up in January 1668 but the English had no interest in making concessions, as the Scots had little to offer in return. In 1669, Charles II revived talks on political union; his motives may have been to weaken Scotland's commercial and political links with the Dutch, still seen as an enemy and complete the work of his grandfather James I. On the Scottish side, the proposed union received parliamentary support, boosted by
6889-510: Was voiced by petitions from shires, burghs, presbyteries and parishes. The Convention of Royal Burghs claimed: we are not against an honourable and safe union with England, [... but] the condition of the people of Scotland, (cannot be) improved without a Scots Parliament. Not one petition in favour of Union was received by Parliament. On the day the treaty was signed, the carillonneur in St Giles Cathedral , Edinburgh, rang
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