Rachel Evans
The Reformation was a period of seismic religious change in the 16th and 17th centuries, during which atrocities were committed and martyrs were made. The English Reformation, in particular, saw the persecution and execution of Catholics. While it is difficult to ascertain the exact number of Catholics who were killed during this era, hundreds were formally accused of treason and executed, with many more being driven off their land, fined, or forced to flee England. The English Reformation put an end to Catholic ecclesiastical governance in the country, asserted royal supremacy over the Church, and dissolved various Catholic institutions. The violence of this era was not limited to England, with episodes of religious violence occurring across Europe, including in France, Germany, and Spain.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Location | England, Wales, Scotland, France, Germany, Spain, and the Holy Roman Empire |
| Time Period | 16th and 17th centuries |
| Number of Catholics Executed | Hundreds, including 63 recognised martyrs, 315 declared venerable, 285 beatified, 31 canonized |
| Reason for Execution | Treason, heresy, attending Mass, refusal to obey laws |
| Methods of Execution | Hanging, burning, drawing and quartering, beheading, sword |
| Notable Figures | John Houghton, John Fisher, Margaret Pole, Thomas More, John Rogers, Joan Bocher, Queen Mary I, Queen Elizabeth I |
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What You'll Learn
Catholics burned or hanged for their faith
During the English Reformation, Catholics were executed for their faith. In 1547, under the rule of England's first Protestant ruler, Edward VI, Protestantism became a new force. However, Edward's reign was short-lived as he died at the age of 15 in 1553. After his death, his cousin Lady Jane Grey claimed the throne but was soon deposed by Edward's Catholic half-sister, Mary I, who restored Catholicism in England.
Mary I's reign saw the persecution of those who opposed Catholicism. John Foxe, a cleric who opposed the burning of heretics, approached the Royal Chaplain, John Rogers, to intervene on behalf of Joan Bocher, an Anabaptist sentenced to death by burning in 1550. Despite Rogers' initial support for burning heretics, he later spoke against Catholicism when Mary I came into power and was himself burned as a heretic.
During Mary I's reign, at least 280 people were recognised as burned, and they are known as the "Marian Martyrs". Foxe's Book of Martyrs lists 312 individuals who were burned, hanged, or died in prison during the persecutions. The English Reformation disrupted Catholic ecclesiastical governance, asserted royal supremacy over the English Church, and dissolved various Catholic institutions such as monasteries.
In 1585, a decree was issued, making it a capital offence to travel abroad to become a Roman Catholic priest. Nicholas Devereux (alias Nicholas Woodfen) and Edward Barber were executed under this law in 1586. William Thomson and Richard Lea suffered the same fate, being hanged and quartered. Additionally, in 1588, eight priests and six laymen at Newgate were condemned and executed under this decree.
The Catholic Church's influence on secular authorities contributed to the persecution of those deviating from Catholic doctrine. Canon 3 of the Fourth Council of the Lateran in 1215 mandated that secular powers "exterminate [...] all heretics" indicated by the Church, resulting in inquisitorial executions. The transition from Catholic to Protestant rule in England during the Reformation resulted in the execution and persecution of individuals adhering to either faith, depending on the ruler's religious affiliation.
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Catholic martyrs recognised by Rome
The Catholic martyrs of the English Reformation were men and women executed under treason legislation between 1534 and 1680, and recognised as martyrs by the Catholic Church. In 1571, Elizabeth I's government passed anti-Roman Catholic decrees forbidding anyone from maintaining the jurisdiction of the pope by word, deed or act. Later laws made illegal the drawing of anyone away from the state church, non-attendance at a Church of England church, and attending or celebrating the Roman Catholic Mass. In 1585, a new decree made it a crime punishable by death to go overseas to receive the sacrament of ordination to the Roman Catholic priesthood.
In the reign of Pope Gregory XIII (1572–85), authorisation was given for 63 recognised martyrs to have their relics honoured and pictures painted for Catholic devotions. These martyrs were formally beatified by Pope Leo XIII, 54 in 1886 and the remaining nine in 1895. Further groups of martyrs were subsequently documented and proposed by the Catholic bishops of England and Wales and formally recognised by Rome. In 1874 a process was begun, containing 353 names, to which six were added in Rome, making 359. Of those, 54 were beatified in 1886, of whom two were canonized in 1935, and 11 in 1970.
The First Martyrs of the Church of Rome were those unknown and unnamed men and women who were tortured and executed in the city of Rome in 64 AD. They were the first Christian martyrs in the city and are remembered and honoured by the Church today. They were accused of setting fire to the city and were put to death in various cruel manners by the emperor Nero's order. Some were covered with the skins of wild beasts and lacerated by dogs, others were fastened to crosses, and others were delivered to the flames to serve as torches at night. Saints Peter and Paul were among them, but many others were unnamed.
Some of the Catholic martyrs of the English Reformation include:
- John Mawson, a layman, executed in 1614
- Thomas Dyer, Benedictine, c.1618–1630 – his identity has not been fully proved
- Robert Anderton, priest, executed 25 April 1586
- Roger Ashton, soldier, executed 23 June 1592 – assisted Sir William Stanley in the surrender of Deventer to Spain
- John Travers, executed in Dublin and appears in Irish Catholic Martyrs
- Nicholas Devereux (alias Nicholas Woodfen) and Edward Barber, put to death in 1586 under the law forbidding overseas ordination to the Roman Catholic priesthood
- William Thomson and Richard Lea, hanged, disembowelled and quartered under the same law
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Catholic treason and execution
The Reformation was a time of seismic religious change in the 16th and 17th centuries, and atrocities were committed on both sides. The English Reformation, in particular, saw the persecution and execution of Catholics accused of treason.
During the reign of Henry VIII, Catholics who refused to accept him as head of the Church of England were targeted. Notable figures such as Bishop John Fisher and Lord Chancellor Thomas More were executed for upholding Catholic doctrine and refusing to recognise Henry's divorce and second marriage. Over 700 Catholics were executed by Elizabeth I in retribution for the Northern Rebellion, and thousands more died in uprisings under Henry VIII. Many others were driven off their land, fined, or forced into exile.
The English Reformation put an end to Catholic governance in England and asserted royal supremacy over the Church. In 1547, under the child-king Edward VI, Protestantism became the dominant force in England. However, when Edward died at 15, his Catholic half-sister Mary I took the throne and reinstated papal authority, martyring nearly 300 Protestants. Upon Elizabeth I's accession and the passing of the Act of Supremacy, Pope Pius V excommunicated her and encouraged Catholics not to obey her. This was considered treason, and Catholics who refused to accept Elizabeth's spiritual authority were punished.
The specific charges of treason against Catholics varied. Some, like John Houghton, were tried for refusing to take the oath required by the Act of Supremacy. Others, like Thomas More, were accused of failing to support Henry VIII's divorce from the Catholic Church. Still, others were executed for practising Catholicism, such as saying or attending the Catholic Mass, which became a criminal act under Elizabeth I.
The punishments for treason during the Reformation were harsh. For men, the standard penalty was hanging, drawing (being dragged), and quartering (dismemberment). Women, on the other hand, were burned at the stake. Hundreds of Catholics suffered these fates, and many were later recognised as martyrs by the Catholic Church.
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Catholic martyrs during Elizabeth I's reign
Although Queen Elizabeth I did not initially persecute Catholics, her stance changed as her reign progressed and the Catholic threat from Europe heightened. In 1570, Pope Pius V excommunicated Elizabeth and issued the bull Regnans in Excelsis, which purported to release her subjects from their allegiance to her. In response, Elizabeth's government passed anti-Roman Catholic decrees in 1571, forbidding anyone from maintaining the jurisdiction of the Pope and requiring the use of the Book of Common Prayer in all cathedrals, churches, and chapels. These decrees also prohibited criticism of the Book of Common Prayer and the publication of any bull, writing, or instrument of the Holy See, with the death penalty assigned to the latter. Later laws made illegal the drawing of anyone away from the state church, non-attendance at a Church of England church, and attending or celebrating the Roman Catholic Mass.
In 1585, a new decree made it a crime punishable by death to go overseas to receive the sacrament of ordination to the Roman Catholic priesthood. This decree led to the executions of Nicholas Devereux (alias Nicholas Woodfen), Edward Barber, William Thomson, and Richard Lea, among others. In addition to these decrees, Catholics were also fined for recusancy (refusing to go to church) and imprisoned for their beliefs.
While there were no martyrs in the first 12 years of Elizabeth's reign, there were five in the years 1570 to 1577: Thomas Plumtree, John Felton, John Story, Thomas Percy, 7th Earl of Northumberland, and Thomas Woodhouse. One of the most famous Elizabethan civilian Catholic martyrs is Margaret Clitherow. It is important to note that the Catholic martyrs of the English Reformation, which took place between 1534 and 1680, were recognized as such by the Catholic Church.
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Catholics persecuted under Queen Mary I
Queen Mary I of England, also known as "Bloody Mary", persecuted hundreds of Protestants during her short reign from 1554 to 1558. Mary I, a fervent Catholic, sought to reverse the Protestant Reformation initiated by her father, King Henry VIII, and restore Catholicism in England. This period, known as the Marian Persecutions, saw the execution of over 280 individuals accused of heresy, who were burned at the stake.
During the Marian Persecutions, Protestants in England and Wales were executed under legislation that punished anyone judged guilty of heresy against Catholicism. While the standard penalty for treason at the time was hanging, drawing, and quartering, this legislation adopted the punishment of burning for those convicted. John Foxe, a Protestant theologian, documented the persecutions in his Book of Martyrs, listing 312 individuals who were burned, hanged, or died in prison during this time.
Tradesmen, married couples, and youths were among those executed, with their trials presided over by bishops and conducted according to strict legal protocols. Mary I's Privy Council, which numbered over 40, played a significant role in enforcing religious uniformity and the heresy laws. From January 20, 1555, England legally punished those found guilty of heresy against the Roman Catholic faith.
The Marian Persecutions ended abruptly with the death of Mary I on November 17, 1558. Her half-sister, Elizabeth I, a Protestant, ascended to the throne and quickly moved to establish a religious settlement that steered England away from Catholicism. Elizabeth passed the Act of Supremacy in 1559, re-establishing the monarch as the supreme head of the Church of England and abolishing papal supremacy.
While Mary I has been criticized for her persecution of Protestants, some historians argue that her actions were influenced by political considerations, such as consolidating power and asserting monarchical authority, rather than solely driven by religious zealotry.
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Frequently asked questions
Yes, Catholics were executed during the Reformation. During the reign of Queen Mary I of England, also known as "Bloody Mary", she persecuted and executed Protestants, burning those she considered heretics. However, after Elizabeth I took the throne, she persecuted and executed Catholics who did not accept her as the spiritual ruler of England.
Catholics accused of treason were often hanged, drawn, and quartered. In addition, to this, women who were found guilty of treason were burned.
It is difficult to determine the exact number of Catholics who were executed during the Reformation. However, it is known that hundreds of Catholics were formally accused of treason and executed.
