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Chris R. Langley @chrislangley.bsky.social · 11/07/2026

It is a joy to see this special issue of @scottishhistreview.bsky.social come to fruition. Thank you to @willtullett.bsky.social & Xuelei Huang for being such wonderful professionals. And, as ever, thanks to colleagues @edinburghup.bsky.social for everything they do!

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Chris R. Langley @chrislangley.bsky.social · 17/06/2026

It was a pleasure to work with Rosamond during her time as EHS President. She made time for everyone, could put you at ease with a sentence and oozed enthusiasm for the subject to which she had dedicated her life. She was, and will continue to be, a role model for everyone in our profession.

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Chris R. Langley @chrislangley.bsky.social · 17/06/2026

More work remains to be done on the regional commissions, but I hope this glimpse underscores their importance in translating the decisions of the Glasgow Assembly into different regions. </end!> [8/8]

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Chris R. Langley @chrislangley.bsky.social · 17/06/2026

Such efforts meant that committee members were often away from home for long stretches of time. John Oswald, minister of Pencaitland, was away for ‘the space of 6 or 7 weekes’ while attending the assembly in Glasgow and the subsequent committee in Edinburgh. There are many other examples. [7/8]

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Chris R. Langley @chrislangley.bsky.social · 17/06/2026

One case involved three members of the Edinburgh commission taking the testimony of ‘about 40 persons’ in one morning. In a separate case, seven members of the committee examined 60 witnesses between 8am to 1pm. All of the witnesses appeared in person before the committee. [6/8]

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Chris R. Langley @chrislangley.bsky.social · 17/06/2026

The local knowledge of these men was important. In the course of their work on the commission, they would be expected to hear witness testimony, liaise with neighbouring ministers & visit the clergy they investigated to persuade them to sign the National Covenant and acknowledge the Assembly. [5/8]

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Chris R. Langley @chrislangley.bsky.social · 17/06/2026

The membership of the commission was drawn from the former bishoprics of Edinburgh and St Andrews (unsurprisingly). Incredibly, the Edinburgh clergy was not represented at all on the commission - presumably because much of its work revolved around disciplining members of the burgh ministry. [4/8]

A greyscale map of lowland Scotland. There are blue dots. The dots are spread across the map around the basin of the First of Forth.

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Chris R. Langley @chrislangley.bsky.social · 17/06/2026

From Douglas's notes, we can see that the Edinburgh commission dealt with a total of 22 cases of clerical misconduct, all referred to it from the General Assembly. The commissions were meant to deal with local affairs but the Edinburgh commission's geographical remit was broad [3/8]

A greyscale map with blue dots. The map shows Lowland Scotland.

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Chris R. Langley @chrislangley.bsky.social · 17/06/2026

No formal minutes survive from the commissions, but notes made by Robert Douglas, minister of Kirkcaldy (labelled, incorrectly, as an 'account of the Assemblys 1638 and 1639'), allow an analysis of some of their activities [2/8]

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Chris R. Langley @chrislangley.bsky.social · 17/06/2026

Following the General Assembly in 1638, several regional commissions were established to reshape the ministry: purging clergy who refused the authority of the Assembly. I am trying to reconstruct how the commissions worked, who staffed them & how they made their decisions. [/long thread!] [1/8]

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Reposted by Chris R. Langley

Russell Newton @drrussellnewton.bsky.social · 07/05/2026

New issue of @scotchurchhist.bsky.social is out www.euppublishing.com/toc/sch/curr... Particularly pleased to see @chrislangley.bsky.social's cracking article on committees at the Scottish General Assemblies, 1638–39 published in this issue www.euppublishing.com/doi/abs/10.3... - do check it out!

euppublishing.com

Committees and Religious Politics at the Scottish General Assemblies, 1638–39 | Scottish Church History

This article explores the role of the Scottish General Assemblies of 1638 and 1639 in opposing the religious policies of Charles I. It investigates the activity of the committees that met during the G...

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