Why Were the Catholics a Threat to Elizabeth I (WJEC Eduqas GCSE History): Revision Note

How did previous Tudor monarchs contribute to Catholic opposition in Elizabethan England? - Summary

The origins of the Catholic threat to Elizabeth I were caused by the earlier Tudor monarchs. For example, Henry VIII’s break with Rome, Edward VI’s Protestant reforms, and Mary I’s restoration of the Catholic Church in England left England deeply divided by religion when Elizabeth came to the throne in 1558. 

In an attempt to unify the people, Elizabeth created the 1559 Religious Settlement with a ‘middle way’. However, many Catholics rejected the Religious Settlement and continued to see Elizabeth’s reign as illegitimate. 

The existence of Mary, Queen of Scots, a Catholic with a legitimate claim to the throne, along with foreign support for plots and rebellions from France, Spain, and the Pope, further increased the Catholic threat. 

Elizabeth was left with no other choice than to act by introducing Acts of Parliament, imposing fines on recusants, and even executing rebels to protect the crown and to secure Protestantism in England and Wales.

Early Toleration of the Catholic Religion 

• Historians believe that the majority of people living outside of London in 1599 were Catholic 

  • This is why Elizabeth was cautious and decided on the ‘middle way’, to prevent a rebellion 

• During the first ten years of her reign, Elizabeth was tolerant of Catholicism due to the

  • Fear of foreign intervention if she were too harsh on Catholics

  • Large amount of opposition from the House of Lords  

  • Fear of rebellion 

  • Knowledge that most people were still Catholic

• However, due to the events of the 1560s and 1570s, Elizabeth was forced to become harsher on Catholics who did not follow the Religious Settlement 

Mary, Queen of Scots 

• Mary was a direct descendant of the first Tudor King, Henry VII

  • This made Mary, Queen of Scots, Elizabeth’s second cousin

• Mary’s parents were James V and Mary of Guise

• Mary became Queen of Scotland in 1524, when she was six days old

• In 1558, Mary married the heir to the French throne, Francis II

  • King Francis II died in 1560 

  • Mary returned to Scotland 

• Mary was disliked in Scotland 

  • She was a Catholic in a Protestant country 

  • It was suggested that she murdered her husband, Lord Darnley 

    • Their marriage was not a happy one. Darnley had Mary’s Italian secretary, David Rizzo, murdered in front of her

    • A few months later, Darnley was found strangled in the garden, and his house was on fire  

  • Three months later, Mary married the Earl of Bothwell 

    • Scottish lords were unhappy and rebelled against her

• Mary was forced to leave Scotland in 1568 

  • Mary left her infant son, King James VI 

  • She went to England to seek help from her cousin, Queen Elizabeth I

• Mary Queen of Scots’ arrival in England created many problems 

  • Protestants feared the return of a Catholic queen 

    • Approximately 300 Protestants were burned by Mary I during her reign 

  • Many Catholics saw this as an opportunity to restore a Catholic queen to the English throne 

  • Parliament and the Privy Council saw it as a threat to the security of the country and the queen 

• Elizabeth had to act because she could not allow Mary to be a free subject in England

• Elizabeth’s options were to 

  • Send Mary, Queen of Scots, back to Scotland

    • This would result in Scotland being a closer ally and remove many threats to Elizabeth’s throne   

    • However, it was likely that Mary would be executed, and Elizabeth did not like this, as she was a legitimate queen and her cousin 

  • Allow Mary to go to France 

    • Mary could gain strength in France and attempt to take the throne 

  • Keep Mary under house arrest in England 

    • Mary would be under constant surveillance 

    • However, Mary would remain a threat, and Catholics could use her in plots against Elizabeth 

  • Execute Mary

    • This would remove any threats to Elizabeth's reign, and many members of the Privy Council supported this idea

    • However, it would anger Catholics and could result in a foreign invasion 

• Elizabeth decided to place Mary Queen of Scots under house arrest 

  • Mary remained under house arrest for 19 years 

  • Mary was named in many Catholic plots during Elizabeth's reign 

    • This resulted in the rules of Mary’s house arrest becoming stricter, and surveillance increased 

    • Many members of the Privy Council tried to persuade Elizabeth to execute Mary during those 19 years 

Rebellion of the Northern Earls

Causes of the Rebellion of the Northern Earls 

• The Northern Earls of Northumberland and Westmorland rebelled in 1569 because:

  • The earls had grievances with the rule of Queen Elizabeth I

  • Factors within England gave them an ideal opportunity to depose Elizabeth

• Recusancy was very popular amongst the Catholic nobility

  • Historians estimate that one-third of the English nobility did not attend Church of England services

  • The North-West of England contained the majority of recusants

• The earls of Northumberland and Westmorland were angry with Elizabeth’s Religious Settlement

  • Under Mary I, they had gained wealth and power

  • Under Elizabeth, they no longer influenced the royal court

• Elizabeth created many new nobles that did not stem from the ancient aristocratic families of England, such as Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester, and Sir William Cecil

• The Spanish Ambassador, De Spes, told both Northumberland and Westmoreland that Spain would support a Catholic rebellion against Elizabeth 

  • However, Philip II was cautious not to commit to military intervention at this stage

    • He believed that if Mary, Queen of Scots, became queen, she would favor France over Spain  

The Key Events of the Rebellion of the Northern Earls 

• The rebellion of the Northern Earls lasted for two months and had the potential to succeed 

Why did the Rebellion of the Northern Earls fail?

• Northumberland and Westmorland’s revolt failed because:

  • The Spanish troops never arrived in Hartlepool

  • Elizabeth managed to raise an army of 14,000 men

    • This vastly outnumbered the rebels

  • Northumberland and Westmorland were poor military leaders

    • As soon as they heard the Earl of Sussex was marching towards them, they fled

  • The rebels were not unified on the plan

    • Some believed they were overthrowing Elizabeth, while others thought they were just freeing Mary, Queen of Scots

  • Elizabeth’s government did not panic

    • Her government prevented the rebels from capturing key areas such as York

  • Westmorland and Northumberland did not persuade the Catholic earls to rebel

    • Most English Catholics did not support or join the revolt

  • France, Spain, and the Pope did not endorse the revolt

The Consequences of the Rebellion of the Northern Earls  

• Northumberland was captured by James Douglas, Earl of Morton 

  • He was taken to Elizabeth in 1572 

  • He was later interrogated and executed in York 

• Westmorland escaped England and lived in Flanders in poverty until his death 

• The Duke of Norfolk was arrested but later released from prison and pardoned in 1570 

• Over 800 rebels involved were executed 

• The Rebellion of the Northern Earls showed that: 

  • Despite concessions, some English Catholics still wanted to depose Elizabeth

  • Catholics posed a significant threat to the stability of England

  • Catholics needed to be monitored and regulated 

  • Elizabeth was willing to use violence against her subjects to protect her monarchy

• The Revolt of the Northern Earls was significant in how Elizabeth treated Catholics throughout her reign 

Elizabeth’s Excommunication 

• In February 1570, Pope Pius V released a papal bull 

  • Stating that 

    • Elizabeth was a ‘servant of wickedness’

    • Elizabeth was not the lawful queen of England and Wales 

    • All catholics should plot against Elizabeth 

    • Elizabeth was excommunicated from the Catholic Church 

• Elizabeth responded by issuing the 1571 Treason Act, which made it treason to 

  • State that Elizabeth was not the lawful queen 

  • To introduce or publish the Papal Bull 

  • It also allowed Elizabeth to confiscate property from Catholics who fled abroad and did not return for 12 months 

Recusancy

• Throughout the 1570s, 1580s, and 1590s, Catholics continued ignore the Religious Settlement 

  • Some Catholics refused to attend Church 

    • As they were not prepared to compromise over their religious beliefs

  • In 1568, William Allen in France taught priests that it was their duty to return to England and re-establish the Catholic faith 

    • From 1574, seminary priests were being smuggled into England and Wales from France

    • Approximately 438 seminary priests were sent to England and are believed to have helped the Catholic plots against Elizabeth   

  • Many seminary priests were Jesuits, members of the Roman Catholic missionary order called  ‘The Society of Jesus’ 

    • They aimed to remove Protestantism 

    • They arrived in England from 1580, stating that Catholics should not accept the Religious Settlement  

    • In 1580, two Jesuit missionaries, Robert Parsons and Edmund Campion, came to England 

• Robert Parsons escaped from England and never returned 

  • However, Edmund Campion was arrested, tortured in the Tower of London, and hanged, drawn, and quartered for treason 

• Due to the threat posed by recusants, Jesuits, and the seminary priests, Elizabeth and her government responded by introducing Acts of Parliament to deal with these issues

The 1571 Treason Act 

• Made denying Elizabeth’s Act of Supremacy illegal

• Enforced recusancy fines for Catholics who refused to attend Protestant services. This was not strongly enforced 

• Made it illegal to own Catholic items such as rosary beads 

The 1581 Act of Persuasions 

• Forced recusants had to pay a fine of £20 per month, which was strongly enforced

• Attending Catholic mass was treason

• Converting to Catholicism was high treason 

1585 Act against Jesuits and Seminary Priests

• Stated that all Catholic priests must leave England or be executed 

• Anyone sheltering a Catholic priest would be arrested 

1593 Act Restraining Recusants 

• Catholics had to stay five miles from their home 

• If Catholics wanted to travel more than five miles from their home, they had to ask permission from the authorities 

Remaining Catholic threat

• Although there was still a Catholic threat against Elizabeth in the 1590s, it was small 

  • Catholicism was not popular among ordinary people 

    • By 1603, approximately 10% of the country was Catholic

  • Most people wanted to support England and Elizabeth 

    • Supporting Catholicism was seen as not English