Answer
William III was the monarch during Aikenhead's time, reigning over Scotland, England, and Ireland from 1689 to 1702. He was a Protestant who ascended to the throne after the Glorious Revolution, which deposed his father-in-law, James II and VII. William's reign saw significant political and religious changes, including the establishment of the Bank of England and the Act of Toleration, which granted religious freedom to Protestant Nonconformists.