Recusancy

Catholics in England 1715-20

Cobbe portrait of Shakespeare

Recusancy was the state of those who refused to attend Anglican services during the history of England, Wales, and Ireland. The term is primarily used to refer to the nonattendance of English and Welsh Catholics who did not participate in the Church of England services after the English Reformation. The laws requiring attendance at church services were enacted in the Elizabethan era and were part of the wider conflict between the newly established Church of England and the Roman Catholic Church. Recusants, as those practicing recusancy were known, played a significant role in the religious and political history of the British Isles, particularly during the 16th and 17th centuries.

Background

Following the English Reformation, initiated by Henry VIII in the 1530s, and the establishment of the Church of England, there was significant religious turmoil in England. The Act of Supremacy in 1534 declared the King of England as the supreme head of the Church of England, leading to a break with the Roman Catholic Church. Under the reign of Elizabeth I, the Act of Uniformity 1559 required the use of the Book of Common Prayer in church services and mandated attendance at Anglican services. Those who refused to comply with these laws were known as recusants.

Recusancy Laws

The recusancy laws were a series of legal measures designed to enforce religious conformity. Penalties for recusancy included fines, property confiscation, and imprisonment. The laws were primarily aimed at Roman Catholics but were also applied to nonconformists and members of other religious groups who did not attend Anglican services. Over time, the enforcement of these laws varied, with periods of strict enforcement and other times when they were more leniently applied.

Impact of Recusancy

Recusancy had a significant impact on the families who were penalized under these laws. Many recusant families, particularly among the nobility and gentry, faced financial ruin due to the heavy fines imposed. The social and political influence of these families was also often diminished. Despite these pressures, many recusants remained committed to their faith, and recusancy played a role in preserving Roman Catholic traditions in England and Wales.

Recusancy also had a broader political impact, particularly during times of tension between England and Catholic powers in Europe. Recusants were often viewed with suspicion and seen as potential traitors or sympathizers with England's Catholic rivals. This suspicion contributed to events such as the Gunpowder Plot of 1605, a failed attempt by a group of Catholics, including several prominent recusants, to assassinate James I and restore a Catholic monarch to the throne.

Decline of Recusancy

The severity of recusancy laws and their enforcement began to decline in the late 17th and early 18th centuries. The Toleration Act 1689 granted some religious freedoms to non-Anglican Protestants, though full legal tolerance for Catholics and others would not come until later. The Catholic Emancipation in the 19th century removed many of the remaining legal disabilities faced by Catholics, marking the end of recusancy as a significant legal and social issue.

Legacy

The legacy of recusancy is evident in the history of Catholicism in England and Wales. Recusant families preserved Catholic traditions and played a key role in the survival and eventual revival of the Catholic Church in the British Isles. The history of recusancy is also a reminder of the religious conflicts that shaped the early modern period and the long struggle for religious tolerance and freedom of conscience.