Timeline of the Wars of the Three Kingdoms

This is a timeline of events leading up to, culminating in, and resulting from the Wars of the Three Kingdoms.

1630s

 * 1637: Charles I attempts to impose Anglican services on the Presbyterian Church of Scotland, Jenny Geddes starts riots
 * 1638: Signing of the National Covenant in Scotland
 * 1639: Conflict between Covenanters and Royalists in Scotland, beginning with the Covenanters seizing the city of Aberdeen in February
 * 1639: The Bishops' War: Charles brings his troops into Scotland but decides not to attack but to negotiate instead. Signing of the Treaty of Berwick (18 June 1639)

1640s

 * 1640: Charles recalls the English Parliament in order to obtain money to finance his military struggle with Scotland. Parliament agrees to fund Charles, but only on condition he answer their grievances relating to his 11-year "personal rule" or "tyranny".  Charles refuses and dissolves Parliament after a mere 3 weeks, hence the name of the "Short Parliament"
 * 1640: The Second Bishops' War or "Second War of the Covenant" breaks out in August. Responding to Charles' attempt to raise an army against them, an army of Covenanters crosses the Tweed and overruns an English force at the Battle of Newburn (28 August 1640), marching on the city of Newcastle.
 * 1640: The Treaty of Ripon (26 October 1640) leaves Newcastle in the hands of the Scots, who also receive a large tribute from Charles. Charles has no option but to recall Parliament in order to raise the necessary funds. Parliament convenes in November and remains convened, in one form or another, until 1660, thus earning the name of the "Long Parliament".
 * 1641: 23 October, Irish Rebellion breaks out in Ulster, with violence marked by the massacre of Protestants by Catholics. The rebels win a battle against Crown forces at Julianstown Bridge near Drogheda in December.
 * 1641: 1 December, Parliament issues the Grand Remonstrance to Charles, which some see as a direct challenge to the King's authority. Charles refuses to address the grievances it raises.
 * 1642: The Covenanters send a Protestant Scots army to Ulster to defend the Protestant plantations
 * 1642: Charles enters the House of Commons to arrest five "traitors".  The news of his "assault" on Parliament causes uproar in London.  Charles leaves the city in fear for his life.  In his absence Parliament passes the Militia Bill which, in effect, seizes control of the London arsenal and places the trainbands and militia under its authority.  Charles retaliates by appointing individuals to take control of other regional militias in the King's name.  From this moment both sides actively raise troops and gather munitions.
 * 1642–1646: The First English Civil War
 * 1642: An alliance of Irish Catholics; Gaelic Irish and the Old English forms the Catholic Confederation, based at Kilkenny, meeting first in March 1642.
 * 1642: 23 October: the Battle of Edgehill, the inconclusive first battle in the English Civil War
 * 1643: Ceasefire between the English Royalists and Irish Confederates declared
 * 1643: 25 September: an alliance between the English Parliament and the Scottish Covenanters — the Solemn League and Covenant — declared. Scottish troops march into England to support the English Parliamentarians
 * 1644: 2 July: the Battle of Marston Moor, a major defeat of the royalists by the Parliamentarians and Scots
 * 1644: Scottish Civil War started by the Scottish Royalist Montrose, with the aid of Irish Confederate troops under Alasdair MacColla, including the Scots-Irish forces serving under Manus O'Cahan
 * 1645: the English Parliament forms the New Model Army
 * 1645: 14 June: the Battle of Naseby: the New Model Army crushes the Royalist army, effectively ending the First English Civil War
 * 1645: 15 August, Montrose wins Royalist control of Scotland at the Battle of Kilsyth; subsequently Covenanter armies returned from England defeat him at the Battle of Philiphaugh (13 September 1645)
 * 1646: May: Charles I surrenders to Scots Covenanters, who hand him over to the English Parliament
 * 1646: 5 June: in the battle of Benburb, an Irish Confederate army under Owen Roe O'Neill defeats the Scottish Covenanter army in Ulster
 * 1647: in the Battle of Dungans Hill (August) and the Battle of Knocknanauss (November) English Parliamentarian forces smash the Irish Confederate armies of Leinster and Munster respectively
 * 1648–1649: The Second English Civil War
 * 1648–1649: Ormonde Peace — formal alliance between Irish Confederates and English Royalists declared
 * 1648: the Battle of Preston (August): Scottish Covenanter (Engagers faction) army invades England to restore Charles I; defeated by the Parliamentarians
 * 1649: 30 January: Execution of Charles I by the English Parliament
 * 1649: 2 August: in the battle of Rathmines, Parliamentarians rout an Irish-Royalist force outside Dublin; 15 August, New Model Army lands in Ireland — begins Cromwellian conquest of Ireland.
 * 1649: 11 September: Cromwell takes Drogheda; followed by Wexford on 11 October

1650s

 * 1650: Montrose tries to launch a Royalist uprising in Scotland; the Covenanters defeat, arrest and execute him
 * 1650: Charles II takes the oath in support of the Solemn League and Covenant and repudiates his alliance with the Irish Confederates. (The Scots subsequently crown him at Scone on New Year's Day, 1651.)
 * 1650: Third English Civil War breaks out between the Scots and the English Parliament. Cromwell invades Scotland and smashes the Scottish army at the Battle of Dunbar (3 September 1650)
 * 1651: Henry Ireton besieges Limerick
 * 1651: June: Capture of the Isles of Scilly by Admiral Robert Blake
 * 1651: 3 September: the defeat of Charles II and the Scots at Worcester ends the Third Civil War. Charles II goes into exile in France
 * 1652: Surrender of the last Irish stronghold in Galway — guerrilla warfare continues
 * 1653: Surrender of the last organised Irish troops in Cavan.
 * 1654: The end of the Royalist rising of 1651 to 1654 in Scotland
 * 1655: March: Penruddock uprising in southwest England
 * 1658: 3 September: Oliver Cromwell dies. Succeeded as Lord Protector by his son Richard.
 * 1659: August: Booth's Uprising along Welsh border

1660s

 * 1660: 25 May: Charles II lands at Dover. The Restoration of England, Scotland, Ireland, and the English colonies commences.
 * 1661: 1–4 January: Venner's Uprising in London