Religious Division in Elizabethan England in 1558 (Edexcel GCSE History)

Why was Religion such an Issue in Elizabethan England? - Summary

Elizabeth's Religion

• Elizabeth was the daughter of Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn

  • Henry had created the independent Church of England to marry Anne Boleyn

• As a result of her upbringing, Elizabeth’s personal belief was Protestantism

  • Catherine Parr was a devout Protestant

  • Elizabeth translated Parr’s book Prayers or Meditations into Latin, French and Italian as a New Year's gift to Henry VIII

  • After the beheading of Anne Boleyn in 1536, Henry banished Elizabeth from the royal household

  • Henry’s sixth wife, Catherine Parr, reunited Elizabeth with her father. Parr also took over Elizabeth’s education

The Catholic Clergy

• Upon Elizabeth’s succession in 1558, the majority of England was likely to have been Catholic

  • Henry VIII caused the English Reformation but held Catholic beliefs

  • The only previous Protestant ruler was Edward VI, Elizabeth’s half-brother. He reigned for only 6 years

  • Her half-sister Mary I faced little challenge converting England back to Catholicism

• As a result of Mary I, most members of the clergy were Catholic

  • Mary chose Catholics for key roles in the Church such as archbishops

  • Mary executed many Protestants as heretics

• The Catholic clergy would cause Elizabeth problems with governing her country

  • Most members of Parliament were Protestant and some members were part of her Privy Council

  • Not all bishops would be willing to convert to Protestantism

  • Changing the official religion of England required passing an Act through parliament

  • The House of Commons would consent to Elizabeth’s change

  • The House of Lords contained many Catholic bishops

Religious Differences Across England

• When Elizabeth became queen, religious beliefs differed across the country

• The areas furthest away from London tended to be more Catholic

A map showing the religious differences across England and Scotland in 1558

Why was the North of England more Catholic?

• It was further away from the monarch in London

• Protestantism had not reached the more isolated communities in the North

  • Northerners did not know how churches could be less decorated

  • Northerners followed the instructions of their clergy who had preached about resisting Protestantism

Why was the South-East of England more Protestant? 

• Closest to the monarch’s influence in London

• Established links to the Protestant states such as the Netherlands and Germany

  • Neither the Netherlands nor Germany were independent countries

  • Germany as a unified country did not exist until the 19th century. In 1558, multiple states spoke German but were independent of each other

  • Spain controlled the Netherlands as part of their empire

• Persecuted Protestants who fled from Europe usually settled in the south of England

  • An example of this was the Huguenots from France

Puritans

• The actions of Mary I radicalised some Protestants

  • English Protestants fled to escape being burnt at the stake for their religious beliefs

  • The Protestants fled to places like the Netherlands. This experience intensified their Protestant values

  • When Elizabeth became queen, they returned to England

• Extreme Protestants gained the name ‘Puritans’ because they wanted to ‘purify’ Christianity

  • They believed in ridding Christianity of any features that were not written in the Bible

• The Puritans presented Elizabeth with a threat to her authority

  • The Puritans did not believe that the monarch should be the Head of the Church

  • They wanted to remove the decoration from churches. Elizabeth preferred churches to have decoration

Puritan Beliefs Compared to Elizabethan Catholic and Protestant Beliefs