English cavalry retreat from Kelso

Historical Context Note

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When Charles I of England and Scotland, in association with his Archbishop William Laud, decided to bring the Church of Scotland more into line with its more high-church English counterpart, it met with outrage from Scots. A group of Presbyterian Scottish lords drew up a 'National Covenant' to voice their protest and demands, and defied the King's authority by abolishing episcopy in Scotland.

Charles took the view that he could - and should - quash the Covenanting movement by military force, and took an army of 20,000 men to the English side of the border, at Berwick-upon-Tweed, while the Covenanters responded by setting up camp across the border at Kelso. The Earl of Holland led a cavalry charge to drive the Scots into retreat, but found his troops heavily outnumbered. The English were

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2189 English cavalry retreat from Kelso 2 Historical context notes are intended to give basic and preliminary information on a topic. In some cases they will be expanded into longer entries as the Literary Encyclopedia evolves.

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