Revolution and Censorship: The policies of the Scottish Parliament and Privy council before and after 1689

Abstract

The Privy Council was the main vehicle for censorship in premodern Scotland, but always in a context set by the Scottish Parliament, which itself was driven by the political circumstances of the day. Once the revolution of 1689 took place against James II and VII and ushered in the new regime under William of Orange simultaneous pressures to be more liberal and suppress the printed word that supported the old regime left censors with something of a dilemma. Matters of church, state and the government criticism became the cause of much debate and interpretation as in the 1690s party politics developed more fully while at the same time some old ideas about undesirable works surprisingly retained a good deal of traction. This paper will explore the nature of government action over censorship either side of the revolution and assess causes and consequences as well as continuity and change by contemporary censors.