Inglorious Revolution: Administrative Muddle and Constitutional Change in the Scottish Parliament of William and Mary

Abstract

In the past the pre-1707 Scottish parliament has not enjoyed a particularly high reputation with English and Scottish constitutional and political historians. The early years, for example, have been summarised bluntly: ‘compared with the English Parliament, the medieval Scottish parliament was insignificant'. But if the reputation of and interest in the Scottish Parliament is now the subject of much historiographical revision and effort,[ii] controversy surrounding the significance of the ‘Glorious Revolution' of 1688-9 has been with us for much longer.  This article will explore the procedural and constitutional significance of the revolution in relation to parliament as it emerged in the reign of William and Mary