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

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

Elizabeth inherited a volatile religious situation when she became queen in 1558. After the English Reformation in 1532, England contained Protestants and Catholics. The North of England was predominately Catholic. Many Northerners supported Mary, Queen of Scots over the Protestant Elizabeth. There was significant support for Protestantism in the South-East of England and among the Scottish nobles. Siding with either Protestantism or Catholicism could cause a civil war. England also contained Puritans, who followed an extreme version of Protestantism. Their opposing ideas only added to the religious divisions within England.

The choice between making England Protestant or Catholic had international consequences. England’s religious decision was of interest to Spain. King Philip II of Spain was Mary I’s husband. He had offered Elizabeth marriage after Mary’s death. He wanted to continue the union between England and Spain under Catholicism. Elizabeth declined Phillip’s offer. This created a personal feud between them. By reverting England to Protestantism, she would push Spain to become a powerful enemy.

Elizabeth’s personal belief was Protestantism. This opposed the beliefs of some in official positions within the government. Elizabeth knew her survival depended on permanently ‘settling’ England’s official religion. She needed to avoid causing conflict between her people and her government.

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

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