The name Covenanter springs from a group of Scots Presbyterians. In the early seventeenth century these Scots made a covenant with King James VI of Scotland to support the King in return for his support of the Scottish Presbyterian Church (Kirk) in its struggle against Catholic influence. If he became King of England, James promised freedom of religion to the Scots and pledged to make Presbyterianism the state religion of England, Scotland, and Ireland. When he became James I of England in 1603, he did not keep the covenant. In fact, he tried to get the Kirk to accept Anglican bishops. It got worse when the Solemn League and Covenant was signed with King Charles I. The Covenanters promised to support him in his war against Oliver Cromwell and the Puritans. Cromwell won the war, executed Charles I and defeated the Scots at the Battle of Dunbar. The Covenanters then helped Charles II to come to the English throne and he promptly turned on them. It was called the “Killing Times” when thousands of Covenanters and other Scots were slaughtered. By the time freedom of religion was established in England in 1689 many of the surviving Covenanters had fled to Ireland. Many of them immigrated to America in the 18th century, and a large number of them settled in Lancaster County. The historic Old Church founded by these Covenanters stands as a memorial to their early influence on America’s spirit of freedom of religion.