Jenny Geddes

Forced to listen to prayers prescribed by King Charles I and Archbishop Laud as read by Mr. James Hannay, the dean of St. Giles Kirk in Edinburgh, Jenny Geddes threw her stool and hit Mr. Hanny in the head. This incident, on this day in 1637, helped to spark the move for Scottish independence, the signing of the National Covenant at Greyfriars Kirk, and the English Civil War.