It was widely believed at the time that a handful of landed and affluent Scots took Scotland into a Union of Parliaments with England purely for their own advantage. Even though it has since proved to have been a mainly benign and often beneficial political twinning for Scotland as well as England, the Union remains a painful subject in certain quarters, and some nationalists still gnaw over its bones. What is not in doubt is that there was an unprecedented degree of popular opposition to it in the months leading up to it, a wave of well-argued dissent – and some mob activity – that the authorities ought to have taken into consideration.
The writer and government agent Daniel Defoe was sent by the English parliament to act as a spy in Scotland in the run-up to the Union of the Parliaments. His role was to mingle widely, in disguise, and urge the Scots to back the proposal, which he genuinely thought would benefit their country as well as his own. He was taken aback to discover the strength of feeling against the proposed merger, as witnessed here in Edinburgh.
I had not been Long There but I heard a Great Noise and looking Out Saw a Terrible Multitude Come up the High street with A Drum at the head of Them shouting and swearing and Cryeing Out all Scotland would stand together, No Union, No Union, English Dogs, and the like.
I Can Not Say to you I had No Apprehensions, Nor was Monsr De Witt quite Out of my Thoughts [the Dutch statesman had been killed by a mob in The Hague], and perticularly when a part of This Mob fell upon a Gentleman who had Discretion little Enough to say something that Displeased them just Undr my Window.
He Defended himself bravely and Call’d Out lustily also for help to the Guard who being within Hearing and Ready Drawn up in Close Ordr in the street, advanc’t, Rescued the Gentleman, and took the person he was Grappld with prisoner.
The City was by this time in a Terrible fright. The Guards were Insulted and stoned as they stood, the Mob put out all the lights, no body could stir in the streets, and not a light be seen in a windo’ for fear of stones.
A petition from Stirling Town Council against the proposed Union is typical of the widespread civic outcry.
18 November 1706
To His Grace Her Majesties high Commissioner and the Estates of Parliament. The Address of the provost Baillies Town Councill and other Inhabitants of the Burgh of Stirling. Humbly Sheweth
That having deliberated upon the great affair of the union of the two nations, as contained in the printed articles, we judged it our indispensable duty to the nation, to this place, indeed to posterity, with all imaginable deference to your Grace and Honourable Estates of parliament humbly to represent, That although we desire that true peace and friendship be perpetually Cultivated with our neighbours in England …, yet we judge your going into this treaty as it now lies before you will bring an insupportable burden of taxations upon this land, which all the grants of freedom of trade will never counterbalance being so uncertain and precarious while still under the regulations of the English in the parliament of Britain, who may if they please discourage the most considerable branches of our trade, if any way considered to interfere with their own.
That it will prove ruinous to our manufacturers, that it will expose our religion, church government as established by law, our claim of right, laws, liberties and consequently all that’s valuable. To be encroached upon, indeed wholly subverted by them, whose principles do, and supposed interest may lead thereunto, that it will deprive us and the rest of the royal burghs in this nation, in a great measure of our fundamental right of being represented in the legislative power, that thereby one of the most ancient nations so long and so gloriously defended by our worthy patriots will be suppressed. Our parliament is the very hedge of all that is dear to us, extinguished and we and our posterity brought under a lasting yoke which we will never be able to bear, the fatal consequences of which we tremble to think upon …
[modified version, see Appendix XIV, p. 447]
Jacobite and anti-Unionist George Lockhart of Carnwath describes the scene in Edinburgh in 1706 during the final debates on the Union.
During this time … the Parliament Close and the Outer Parliament House were crowded every day when the Parliament was met, with an infinite number of people, all exclaiming against the Union and speaking very free concerning the promoters of it: the Commissioner [Queensberry] as he passed along the street was cursed and reviled to his face, the Duke of Hamilton [official leader of the National or Federal Party] huzza’d and convoyed every night with a great number of apprentices and younger sort of people from the Parliament House to the Abbey, exhorting him to stand by the country, and assuring him of his being supported. And before the 23rd of October, above three or four hundred of them, being thus employed, did as soon as they left His Grace hasten in a body to the house of Sir Patrick Johnston (their late darling Provost, one of the Commissioners of the Treaty, a great promoter of the Union in Parliament, where he sat as one of the representatives of the town of Edinburgh), threw stones at his windows, broke open his doors, and searched his house for him, but he having narrowly escaped prevented his being torn in a thousand pieces. From thence the mob, which was increased to a great number, went through the streets, threatening destruction to all the promoters of the Union, and continued for four or five hours in this temper, till about three next morning a strong detachment of the Foot Guards was sent to secure the gate called the Netherbow Port, and keep guard in the Parliament Close. ’Tis not to be expressed how great the consternation was that seized the Courtiers on this occasion. Formerly they did, or pretended, not to believe the disposition of the people against the Union: but now they were thoroughly convinced of it, and terribly afraid of their lives, this passage making it evident that the Union was crammed down Scotland’s throat. For not only were the inclinations of the elder and wiser known by the actions of the rasher and younger, but even the very soldiers, as they marched to seize the Port, were heard to say to one another, ’Tis hard we should oppose those that are standing for the country, ’tis what we can’t help just now, but what we won’t continue at. The mob being once despatched, guards of regular forces were placed in the Parliament Close, Weighhouse, and Netherbow Port, and the whole army, both horse and foot, was drawn together near Edinburgh, and continued so all the session of Parliament: nay, the Commissioner (as if he had been led to the gallows) made his parade every day after this from the Parliament House to the Cross (where his coach waited him) through two lanes of musketeers, and went from thence to the Abbey, the Horse Guards surrounding his coach, and if it was dark, for the greater security a part of the Foot Guards likewise …
The Government were not fond of any such amusements, and therefore the next day after it happened, the Privy Council met and ordained those guards to be continued, and emitted a proclamation against tumultous meetings, wherein they commanded all persons to retire off the street whenever the drum should beat and give warning, ordered the guards to fire upon such as would not obey, [and] granted an indemnity to such as should upon that occasion kill any of the lieges … The Courtiers, being deadly afraid of their bones, gave no ear to decency, reason, or justice, but pressed a vote, and the motion was approved … yet His Grace was constantly saluted with curses and imprecations as he passed through the streets, and if the Parliament sat till towards evening, then to be sure he and his guards were all well pelted with stones … so that often he and his retinue were obliged to go off at a top gallop and in great disorder.