The Age of James VI – James_I_of_England_by_Daniel_Mytens

                              The Reign of James VI

The reign of King James VI (1567 -1625) marks the crucial change in the fortunes of the Stewart, now called Stuart dynasty and of Scotland as a whole. The Protestant Reformation in Scotland effectively ended the political alliance with France. While the removal of the monarchy to England in 1603 marked a decisive change in the future cohesion and development of the Scottish kingdom.

                                            Population Growth

This was coupled with a significant economic and population growth.  The population is thought to have doubled between 1550 and 1650 which made for further changes in Scotland. Though King James himself was removed from having daily contact with the elites in Edinburgh. Only returning to Scotland  occasionally. His attempts to unite the parliaments of Scotland and England failed . The administration of Scotland remained entirely separate from that of England. The intention of the governing elites in both kingdoms to keep the administration entirely separate. The only point of unity being intended to be through the monarch alone. This was a crucial factor in the calamitous events of his successor, Charles I’s reign (1625 -1649).

                                               King James as an Author

James VI himself was something of an author, Being involved in the writing and publishing of several books.  These were on such diverse subjects as Government and the evils of tobacco. By the time of his death in 1625 Scotland’s position had been transformed. With a more prosperous, confident country but with one that had crucially lost the physical presence of its monarchy. In addition it was one that had deep and numerous religious and political differences in the wake of the Reformation of 1560. The reign of James VI ensured that all these differences would come to the fore in the following reign of Charles I. This would bring disaster to both the Stuart monarchy and to Scotland in their wake.