persecutions

Key statistics for persecutions that could be added into an essay

Heresy laws began in 1554 however burnings didn’t start till 1555, john rogers first to be burnt in February, almost 300 burnt mostly in south-east/ near London

3 key impacts of the persecutions that suggest it had a positive impact on Mary’s religous change to Catholicism

The burnings had aimed to eradicate Protestantism and any potential opposition to her catholic regime and therefore it consolidated her power and deterred people from heresy e.g. persecuting notorious figures like Thomas Cranmer (who supported LJG), additionally the persecutions were often made out to be spectacles and thus gained a lot of attention and sparked a lot of fear e.g. notable events like Christopher wades execution in 1555, and finally it imply her catholic regime was more harshly enforced during the last 3 years of her reign (after gardeners death) suggesting religous change would be difficultt for Elizabeth

Who was john fox?

A Protestant who wrote the book of Marty’s and documented the deaths of those who had been persecuted during Mary’s reign expressing adminaration and a martyrdom narrative that many Protestants would have had

What does john fox suggest about the impact of persecutions?

He shows how there was a lot of sympathy for those being persecuted suggesting there was opposition to the persecutions, additionally he suggests the dedication of those being burnt caused many people to convert to Protestantism imply the persecutions had the opposite effect rather than consolidating Catholicism in England

What was the geography of the burnings?

Most took place in the south east/ near London as this was were a lot of Protestants were and it offered the best place for propaganda e.g. could hold large powerful spectacles like that of Smithfield

What is the significance of the geograophy of the Marian persecution?

It reveals the regional variations in support for Catholicism and how authorities and local communities impact how much persecutions are enforced. E.g. authorities in London were more likly to act suggesting a greater level of concern and more susceptible to Mary’s influence. However JPs further away from the capital weren’t, and overall there is evidence lots of local authorities were reluctant to carry out persecutions shown by the volume of letters of the public encouraging them to take more action (however arguably this is the case with most legislation not just heresy laws as JPs often need regular reminders and were unwilling to carry out vagrancy laws for example)