Ethan Walker
The English Reformation, which took place between 1534 and 1680, saw the Church of England break away from the authority of the Pope and the Roman Catholic Church. This period of religious upheaval and persecution resulted in the deaths of many Catholics, as well as Protestants, in England and beyond. The exact number of Catholics killed is hard to pinpoint, but it is known that hundreds were executed, burned at the stake, or otherwise persecuted for their faith during this time. The Catholic Church has recognised these individuals as martyrs, with 40 of them canonised as the Forty Martyrs of England and Wales.
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What You'll Learn
The English Reformation
Upon Elizabeth I's accession to the throne, an Act of Supremacy denied papal authority over the English church. However, in 1570, Pope Pius V excommunicated Elizabeth and any who obeyed her, releasing her subjects from their allegiance. In response, legislation was enacted in 1571, making it treasonable to be under the authority of the Pope, including being a Jesuit, being Catholic, or harbouring a Catholic priest. Elizabeth unleashed a mass persecution, and by 1585, tensions were so high that any priest ordained after 1559 found on English soil was automatically guilty of treason, as was anyone who sheltered him.
The Catholic Church remembers about 300 martyrs who were killed for their faith in England and Wales between 1534 and 1681. Many Catholics were formally accused of treason and executed, while many more were driven off their land, fined, or forced to flee England.
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Catholic martyrs of the English Reformation
The Catholic martyrs of the English Reformation were men and women executed under treason legislation during the 16th and 17th centuries, when England was at war with Catholicism and the Pope. The English Reformation saw the Church of England break away from the authority of the Pope and the Roman Catholic Church, with the Act of Supremacy 1534 declaring the English crown as "the only supreme head on earth of the Church in England".
The first Catholic martyrs of the English Reformation were those who opposed King Henry VIII's assertion of royal supremacy over the English Church. Thomas More and John Fisher, both beheaded in 1535, are among the most famous of these. More had been Lord Chancellor of England and one of Henry's close advisers, but he refused to approve of the king's divorce from Catherine of Aragon. John Fisher was the only bishop in England who opposed Henry.
During the reign of Mary I, daughter of Henry VIII, papal authority was reinstated and hundreds of Protestants were martyred, leading to her nickname of "Bloody Mary". The number of people executed for their faith during the persecutions is thought to be at least 287, including 56 women. Thirty others died in prison. Mary's half-sister and successor, Elizabeth I, reversed this Catholic restoration and denied papal authority in England. In 1570, Pope Pius V excommunicated Elizabeth and called on Catholics in England to rebel, leading to further anti-Catholic decrees.
The Catholic Church recognises about 300 martyrs who were killed for their faith in England and Wales between 1534 and 1681. Many Jesuit priests, including Edmund Campion, Robert Southwell, and Henry Walpole, were martyred. Among the laypeople martyred were Margaret Clitherow, Margaret Ward, and Anne Line.
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Religious persecution under Mary I
The reign of Mary I, often referred to as "Bloody Mary," was a period of religious persecution in England from 1553 to 1558. It was a time when Mary, a devout Catholic, sought to reverse the Protestant reforms established during the reign of her father, Henry VIII, and her half-brother, Edward VI. Mary's goal was to return England to the authority of the Catholic Church, and in the process, she initiated a harsh crackdown on Protestantism, resulting in the deaths of hundreds of individuals.
The exact number of Catholics who died during this period is a matter of historical debate. Some estimates suggest that around 280 to 300 people were executed for their religious beliefs, the majority of whom were Anabaptists and Protestants. However, it is important to note that the religious landscape of Tudor England was complex, and the lines between "Catholic" and "Protestant" were not always clearly defined.
The persecutions began in February 1555, with the passage of the "Act for the Punishment of Heresy," often referred to as the "Heresy Act." This legislation reversed the tolerant religious policies of Edward VI and made it a capital offense to deny the Catholic transubstantiation, or the belief in the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist. The act also mandated that anyone convicted of heresy would first be handed over to secular authorities and then burned at the stake.
One of the most notorious episodes during this period was the persecution of the Oxford martyrs, which included the bishop of Worcester, Nicholas Ridley, and the former bishop of London, Hugh Latimer. They were tried for heresy and sentenced to death by burning. On October 16, 1555, they were burned at the stake in Oxford, with the famous remark by Latimer to Ridley: "Be of good comfort, Master Ridley, and play the man! We shall this day light such a candle, by God's grace, in England, as I trust shall never be put out."
Another notable victim of Mary's reign was Thomas Cranmer, the former Archbishop of Canterbury and a key figure in the English Reformation. Cranmer was imprisoned and forced to watch as several of his associates were burned at the stake. Under intense pressure, he recanted his Protestant beliefs and even wrote several defensive tracts for Catholicism. However, when it became clear that Philip II of Spain was pushing for Cranmer's execution, he publicly renounced his recantations and reaffirmed his Protestant faith. On March 21, 1556, he was sentenced to death for heresy and burned at the stake in Oxford.
The religious persecution under Mary I had a significant impact on the course of English history. It hardened the resolve of English Protestants and contributed to the emergence of a strong anti-Catholic sentiment in the country. When Elizabeth I ascended the throne in 1558, she inherited a country that was deeply divided along religious lines. Elizabeth sought to navigate these divisions through a more moderate religious settlement, which became the foundation for the Elizabethan Religious Settlement of 1559.
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Anti-Catholic sentiment in England
One notable example of anti-Catholic sentiment during this time was the execution of Catholic Jesuit missionaries under Queen Elizabeth I. These missionaries, including figures like Edmund Campion, were considered traitors to England and were canonized as the Forty Martyrs of England and Wales by the Catholic Church. Elizabeth's persecution of Catholics was fueled by the fear that the Pope sought to regain both religious and secular power over England, which was further exacerbated by the Catholic backing of regime change in alliance with Philip II of Spain.
The Gunpowder Plot, in which a group of Catholic conspirators planned to blow up the English Parliament, also contributed to rising anti-Catholic sentiment in England. The plot was discovered and the conspirators, including Guy Fawkes, were found guilty and executed. This event further intensified anti-Catholic feelings among the English population.
During the reign of Mary I, daughter of Henry VIII, papal authority was reinstated, and she executed many Protestants, earning criticism for her actions. However, under her successor, Elizabeth I, a new Act of Supremacy was passed in 1559, along with an Act of Uniformity, which made worship in the Church of England compulsory. Anyone who refused to attend Anglican services, including Catholics, was fined and physically punished.
In the late 18th century, the Roman Catholic Relief Act of 1791 was passed, granting Catholics certain rights and freedoms, including the ability to enter the legal profession and the toleration of their schools and places of worship. However, the passing of this act also sparked the anti-Catholic Gordon riots in 1780, demonstrating the persistent anti-Catholic sentiment among certain segments of the population.
While freedom of worship for Catholics was eventually allowed across Great Britain in 1791, the legacy of anti-Catholic sentiment persisted. Even today, anti-Catholicism remains present in parts of the United Kingdom, particularly in Scotland and Northern Ireland.
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The Scottish Reformation
Christianity spread in Scotland from the 6th century, with evangelisation by Irish-Scots missionaries and, to a lesser extent, those from Rome and England. The Scottish church attained independence from England in 1192, after the Papal Bull of Celestine III, becoming the "special daughter of the see of Rome". It was run by special councils made up of all the Scottish bishops, with the bishop of St Andrews emerging as the most important figure.
From the 15th century, Renaissance humanism encouraged critical theological reflection and calls for ecclesiastical renewal in Scotland. Scots were in contact with leading figures in the northern humanist movement, such as Desiderius Erasmus and Jacques Lefèvre d'Étaples. Scottish scholars often studied on the Continent and at English universities, integrating Scotland into a wider European scholarly world.
In the 1520s, the circulation of Martin Luther's reform ideas began to appear in Scotland, particularly in the east coast ports, via merchants and trading vessels from the Low Countries and the Baltic states. This was followed by the English invasion of 1547, which encouraged the reforming cause. The English supplied books and distributed Bibles and Protestant literature in the Lowlands. Several earls pledged themselves "to cause the word of God to be taught and preached".
During this period, the Scottish political nation was divided between a pro-French faction, led by Cardinal Beaton and the Queen's mother, Mary of Guise, and a pro-English faction, headed by Mary's prospective heir, James Hamilton, Earl of Arran. The murder of Cardinal Beaton in 1546 left a leadership vacuum in the church, allowing Protestantism to grow quietly.
Knox's writings, such as "The First Blast of the Trumpet Against the Monstrous Regiment of Women", expressed the grievances of Protestant Reformers against their Catholic rulers and argued for the need for reform and change in Scotland. With the example of Calvin's Protestant Geneva in mind, Knox returned to Scotland in 1560, aided by Protestant individuals such as James, Earl of Morray, half-brother to the Queen of Scots. Despite opposition from the strictly Catholic Queen Mary, the power of the Scottish Protestants grew, and in 1567, Mary lost her fight for her crown.
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Frequently asked questions
It is difficult to give an exact number, but there were many Catholic martyrs during the English Reformation, which took place between 1534 and 1680. Some sources state that there were 40 Catholic martyrs, who were executed by English authorities during the reign of Elizabeth I.
Mary I was a devout Catholic and reinstated Catholicism as England's state religion. However, she executed many Protestants by burning them at the stake. During her reign, under the Marian Persecutions, several hundred Catholics were martyred.
Yes, during the reign of Elizabeth I, there was a significant amount of anti-Catholic sentiment in England. This was fuelled by the Gunpowder Plot, in which Catholic conspirators planned to blow up the English Parliament. As a result, Catholics were persecuted and killed because they did not accept the laws that made Elizabeth both their secular and spiritual ruler.
Yes, under Elizabeth I, several laws were passed that made it illegal for Catholics to practice their religion. These included the Act of Supremacy, which denied papal authority over the English church, and the Act of Uniformity, which made worship in the Church of England compulsory. Catholics who refused to attend Anglican services were fined and physically punished.
Yes, anti-Catholicism remained prevalent in England for centuries, particularly in Scotland and Northern Ireland. It was not until 1791 that the Roman Catholic Relief Act was passed, granting Catholics certain rights and freedoms in England.
