Grace Thompson
Queen Elizabeth I's reign was marked by religious persecution, with Catholics facing harsh penalties for practising their faith. While the exact number of Catholics is unknown, it is estimated that at least 183 Catholics were put to death under anti-Catholic legislation. This included priests, who were targeted for treason, and individuals who were fined or penalised for refusing to attend Protestant church services. Elizabeth's government pursued an aggressive anti-Catholic policy, driven by national security concerns and the threat of plots against the Queen orchestrated by Catholic figures. The Queen herself attempted to accommodate Catholic beliefs, but the growing Catholic threat from Europe pushed her government towards a harder line. Elizabeth's rule, therefore, witnessed a tense and deadly clash between politics and religion, resulting in the execution and exile of numerous Catholics.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Number of Catholics in Elizabethan England | It is impossible to know the exact number, but John Bossy estimated some 40,000 in 1603, less than one per cent of the population. |
| Treatment of Catholics | Catholicism was effectively illegal. Catholics were fined for not attending church, and attendance at mass was punishable by a fine. However, Elizabeth did not want to put people to death simply for their faith, and initially turned a blind eye to Catholics who practised in secret. |
| Executions of Catholics | It is estimated that around 183 Catholics were executed under anti-Catholic legislation during Elizabeth's reign, with many more imprisoned or exiled. |
| Methods of Execution | Catholics were executed for treason, rather than burned for heresy. Methods included hanging, drawing, and quartering. Torture was also employed. |
| Catholic Priests | Priests were banned, and from 1585, any priest ordained abroad since the beginning of Elizabeth's reign was deemed a traitor. Many priests lived in secret, and rich Catholic families would often build "priest holes" to hide them. |
| Catholic Threat to Elizabeth | Catholics were seen as a threat to Elizabeth, with plots against her life and the continuous flow of Jesuit priests into the country. The entrance of Jesuits was prohibited by law in 1585, but they still came, hoping to convert the English population. |
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What You'll Learn
Catholics were persecuted, not burned
While it is true that Catholics were persecuted under Queen Elizabeth I, it is a myth that she burned Catholics at the stake. Instead, her government pursued an aggressive anti-Catholic policy that included fines, imprisonment, exile, torture, and execution for treason.
Elizabeth's predecessor, Mary I, burned around 300 Protestants during her reign, leading to a perception of Catholicism as a "nasty religion". Elizabeth's government was clever in reframing the persecution of Catholics as a matter of national security rather than religious intolerance. This was achieved by passing laws that made practising Catholicism tantamount to treason, thereby allowing Catholics to be executed for disloyalty to the state rather than their religious beliefs.
Catholics faced significant restrictions during Elizabeth's reign. They were not allowed to worship freely and were fined for non-attendance at Protestant church services. The saying of Mass, a central Catholic ritual, was punishable by death, although Elizabeth did not enforce this until 1577. Catholic priests were also targeted, with those ordained abroad deemed traitors and subject to harsh punishments, including hanging, drawing, and quartering.
The excommunication of Elizabeth by Pope Pius V in 1570 further escalated tensions. The Pope's proclamation, known as a Papal Bull, declared Elizabeth an illegitimate ruler and freed English Catholics from any obligation to obey her. This heightened the perception of Catholics as a threat to the Queen and the realm, and plots against Elizabeth's life in the 1570s solidified the idea that Catholics were traitors.
While the exact number of Catholics in Elizabethan England is unknown, it is estimated that there were around 40,000 in 1603, representing less than one per cent of the population. Despite their small number, Catholics were publicly enemy number one. Many Catholic families had priest holes" built in their homes to hide priests during searches by the authorities. It is estimated that around 183 Catholics were executed under anti-Catholic legislation during Elizabeth's reign, with many more imprisoned or exiled.
In conclusion, while Catholics were undoubtedly persecuted under Elizabeth I, they were not burned at the stake as a form of punishment. The persecution took the form of fines, imprisonment, exile, torture, and execution for treason, with the justification being national security rather than religious intolerance.
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Elizabeth's anti-Catholic policy
Elizabeth I inherited a divided England, with a bitter split between Catholics and Protestants. The religious changes of the previous three monarchs had resulted in turmoil, and the Elizabethan Religious Settlement was an attempt to end this. Elizabeth was a Protestant divine-right queen, but she had conformed during the reign of her Catholic half-sister, Mary I, who had enforced her religious policies with an iron fist, earning the hatred of her subjects. Elizabeth's policy was more tolerant, but she was still a Protestant queen with a sworn duty to maintain the "one true faith".
Elizabeth's Catholic subjects were troubled that they had no legal right to attend Mass, and many believed that Elizabeth, born out of wedlock, was not a legitimate ruler. They felt that Mary Stuart, Queen of Scots, had a more legitimate claim to the throne. This support for Mary inspired the Northern Rising in 1569, a rebellion led by the earls of Westmoreland and Northumberland. Pope Pius V excommunicated Elizabeth, declaring her illegitimate and freeing English Catholics from any obligation to obey her. He also commanded them to try to overthrow the queen. This was a painful experience for Elizabeth's Catholic subjects, who now had to choose between loyalty to their queen and their pope. Elizabeth's government soon began to suspect all Catholics of treason, and harsh anti-Catholic legislation was enacted and enforced.
The discovery of the Ridolfi plot, a Catholic conspiracy to overthrow Elizabeth and place Mary on the throne, further alarmed the English government. Catholic recusants organised an underground Catholic Church, and the first Jesuit priests arrived in England in 1580. The Jesuits were followed by an influx of seminary priests, and by 1585, the entrance of Jesuits into the country was prohibited by law. The continuous flow of priests into the country, as well as plots against Elizabeth's life from Catholic nations like Spain, created distrust of Catholics both at home and abroad.
Elizabeth's government pursued an aggressive anti-Catholic policy, and Catholics were spied on, searched, and branded "unnatural subjects". Their Masses were banned, and priests were executed. However, it is important to note that Elizabeth did not ruthlessly seek out Catholics, and she had no desire to put ordinary men and women to death simply for their faith. Catholics were fined for not attending church services, but this fine applied to dissenting Puritans as well. It was only as the Catholic threat against Elizabeth from Europe heightened that her government had to take a harsher stance.
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Catholics remained loyal to England
While Catholics were persecuted under Elizabeth I, many remained loyal to England. Elizabeth's anti-Catholic policies were largely driven by concerns about national security and the threat posed by foreign powers, rather than a desire to persecute her Catholic subjects. In fact, Elizabeth tried to accommodate Catholic beliefs in her religious settlement, allowing them to go to church without feeling guilty or disloyal. She often turned a blind eye to Catholics who held secret services in their homes and did not attempt to ruthlessly seek them out.
The Catholic threat against Elizabeth from Europe heightened as her reign progressed, leading her government to take a harsher stance. This included the enactment of laws that made it treason to be a priest in England or to provide aid to one, resulting in the execution of many priests and those who harbored them. However, it is important to note that Catholics were not burned for their religious beliefs but rather executed for treason, which was still a cruel and alienating experience for those persecuted.
Even with these threats of persecution, Catholics and Protestants alike rallied to defend England when Philip's Armada sailed in 1588. This showed that most English Catholics would remain loyal to their country rather than accept foreign rule. While it is impossible to know the exact number, there were likely around 40,000 Catholics in Elizabethan England, a small but significant minority.
The experience of being a Catholic in Elizabethan England was varied. While some Catholics, such as Sir Thomas Tresham, paid recusancy penalties, others found creative ways to practice their faith, such as blocking their ears with wool during services or disposing of Protestant communion bread. Ultimately, as long as Catholics were outwardly obedient, attended church occasionally, and behaved themselves, Elizabeth allowed them to believe what they wished.
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Catholic priests were executed
During the reign of Queen Elizabeth I, Roman Catholics were considered public enemies. Their masses were banned, and their priests were executed. While it is impossible to know the exact number of Catholics in Elizabethan England, John Bossy estimates there were about 40,000 in 1603, which was less than one per cent of the population.
Catholicism was effectively illegal, but Catholics were fined for not attending church services, not for being Catholic. The fine also applied to dissenting Puritans. In 1559, a 12-pence fine was imposed for refusing to go to church, and Catholic clergy who refused to take the oath of allegiance to the Queen suffered the loss of their office. Attendance at mass was to be punished by a fine of 100 marks, but the saying of mass or arranging for it to be said carried the death penalty, although Elizabeth ensured that this was not implemented before 1577.
As the Catholic threat against Elizabeth from Europe heightened, the Elizabethan government took a harsher stance against Catholics. In 1585, it was enacted that being a priest in England was treason unless the priest had been ordained before the queen's accession. Anyone sheltering such a priest was also guilty of a capital crime. St Cuthbert Mayne became the first of 123 English Catholic priests to be martyred in Elizabeth's reign. Other famous priests executed for treason include Edmund Campion, who was tortured and hanged alongside two other priests, and John Gerard, whose autobiography provides insight into the Elizabethan Catholic underworld.
In summary, while it is unclear how many Catholic priests were executed during Elizabeth's reign, it is known that at least 123 priests were martyred, and many others were persecuted and forced to live in secret. The harsh treatment of Catholic priests was due to the growing threat posed by Catholics to the Queen and the realm, as well as the continuous flow of Jesuit priests into the country.
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Catholics were fined for non-attendance
During the reign of Queen Elizabeth I, Roman Catholics were persecuted and their religious practices were outlawed. While it is challenging to determine the exact number of Catholics in Elizabethan England, John Bossy estimates there were around 40,000 in 1603, constituting less than one percent of the population. This group was not homogeneous, and many Catholics found creative ways to continue their religious practices, such as attending official Church of England services while secretly maintaining their Catholic faith, earning them the label "Church Papists."
Catholics faced significant challenges under Queen Elizabeth's rule. Their Masses were banned, and priests were executed or had to live in hiding. The saying of Mass or arranging for it to be said was punishable by death, although Elizabeth refrained from enforcing this penalty until 1577. The Queen's primary concern was outward obedience to the Church of England and the state, and she was willing to turn a blind eye to Catholics who discreetly practised their faith.
To address the issue of non-attendance at official church services, fines were imposed. In 1559, a fine of 12 pence was established for refusing to attend Church of England services, and Catholic clergy who refused to take the Oath of Supremacy, recognising Elizabeth as the head of the Church, faced the loss of office. These fines, known as "recusancy" fines, were paid by "recusants," Catholics who chose to forgo attendance at the official church services. The amount of these fines was later increased significantly, from 12 pence to twenty pounds, a 4000% increase.
The enforcement of these fines and anti-Catholic laws was often inconsistent and varied across the country. While some regions implemented the laws harshly, in other areas, the laws were only partially enforced or even ignored. Despite the challenges and threats of punishment, many Catholics continued to practise their faith in secret, and some even harboured priests in "priest holes" built into their homes.
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Frequently asked questions
It is impossible to know exactly how many Catholics were executed during Elizabeth's reign as few were willing to be counted. However, it is estimated that around 183 Catholics were executed under anti-Catholic legislation, with many more imprisoned or exiled. It is important to note that these Catholics were executed for treason rather than burned for heresy.
Catholicism was largely seen as a "'nasty religion' during Elizabeth's reign due to the actions of her half-sister, Mary I, who burned around 300 Protestants. As a result, Catholics were viewed with suspicion and their practices were restricted. Elizabeth's government pursued an aggressive anti-Catholic policy after the pope excommunicated the queen, declaring her illegitimate.
Catholics were not allowed to publicly practice their faith. Their masses were banned, and their priests were executed or forced to hide in "priest holes" built by wealthy Catholic families. Catholics were fined for not attending official church services, and attendance at mass was punishable by a fine. From 1585, any priest ordained abroad during Elizabeth's reign was deemed a traitor and faced harsh punishments such as hanging, drawing, and quartering.
Catholics in Elizabethan England faced a difficult predicament, torn between loyalty to the Queen and loyalty to the Pope. They were alienated and stressed by constant surveillance and being branded as "unnatural subjects". Many Catholics likely struggled to reconcile their spiritual and secular allegiances, and some may have chosen to separate their loyalties or ignore the dilemma altogether.
While Elizabeth's government pursued an aggressive anti-Catholic agenda, it is important to note that she tried to accommodate Catholic beliefs in her religious settlement. She often turned a blind eye to Catholics who held secret services in their homes and did not ruthlessly seek them out. It was only as the Catholic threat from Europe heightened that her government had to take a harsher stance. The enforcement of anti-Catholic laws was sometimes slack, and most English Catholics remained loyal to their country rather than accepting foreign rule.
