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.[1]
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.[2] 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.[3][4][5][6][7][8][9]