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General elections were held in Scotland in 1702 to return members to serve in the Parliament of Scotland. The new government would be a minority Court Party administration, led by the Duke of Queensberry as Lord High Commissioner. The election took place amidst the War of the Spanish Succession, and one of Queensberry's key main priorities was to secure Scottish funding for the war. The new parliament assembled in Edinburgh on 6 May 1703.
Queensberry sought to build an alliance between his Court party and the Episcopalian Cavalier faction, whose parliamentary presence had been increased by the election. This alliance was in part driven by Queen Anne's own Anglicanism and Stewart heritage. For their support, the Cavaliers requested greater toleration for Episcopalians. The parliament was still predominantly Presbyterian, and neither Queensberry or his Court faction favoured toleration. Any increased support from Cavaliers as a result of a deal would likely be balanced by a loss in support from Presbyterian opponents to toleration.
Dates of election
At this period elections did not take place at the same time in every constituency. The returning officer in each shire or burgh fixed the precise date (see hustings for details of the conduct of the elections).
References
- "The Scottish Parliament in revolt 1703".
- Bowie, Karin (1 January 2007). Scottish Public Opinion and the Anglo-Scottish Union, 1699-1707. Boydell & Brewer Ltd. ISBN 9780861932894 – via Google Books.
- Stephen, Jeffrey (13 May 2016). Defending the Revolution: The Church of Scotland 1689–1716. Routledge. ISBN 9781317153641 – via Google Books.
- Bowie, Karin (1 January 2007). Scottish Public Opinion and the Anglo-Scottish Union, 1699-1707. Boydell & Brewer Ltd. ISBN 9780861932894 – via Google Books.
- Ferguson, William (1 January 1977). Scotland's Relations with England: A Survey to 1707. The Saltire Society. ISBN 9780854110582 – via Google Books.
- Lawson, John Parker (1 January 1843). History of the Scottish Episcopal Church: From the Revolution to the Present Time. Gallie and Bayley. p. 188 – via Internet Archive.
scottish parliament 1702 cavaliers episcopalian.
- Moore, Edward A. (7 November 2016). Strategy Six Pack 8: A Short History of Scotland, The Battle of Blenheim, A Cannoneer Under Stonewall Jackson, King Alfred, The Greeks and Captain Cook. Enhanced Media Publishing. ISBN 9781365492129 – via Google Books.
- Publicity, Parties and Patronage: Parliamentary Management and the Ratification of the Anglo-Scottish Union
- By, Undiscovered Scotland. "A Short History of Scotland, by Andrew Lang on Undiscovered Scotland: XXIX: Preliminaries to the Union".
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