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Site News

New: Article on the Medieval minsters of Beverley, Rippon and York, submitted by Stuart Sharp.

We now have an RSS feed so you can stay up to date with the latest news here.

We've added lots more images. Check out the new photos on our Roman history site, such as Hadrian's Wall. Great new photos of Stonehenge and Avebury are on megalithic sites

Castles

Our castles pictures and notes have been updated with Farleigh Hungerford Castle. A full list of the historical galleries we have on line is also available now.

Society and Religion

Opposition to the Act of Settlement in Queen Elizabeth's reign

From 1588, their tactics changed as the levels of state repression altered, in response to the changing approach of the crown to the Catholic threat to Elizabeth's rule. They were forced to develop alternative responses - Presbyterian groups (Dedham) setting up of God-focussed communities (Ipswich, Banbury) and a policy of outright separatism (Browne, Barrow, Greenwood.)

The Catholics were a much more serious threat to Elizabeth's rule. They had the theological authority - the advantage of representing what most people would see as being the true church. Hence, they did not need to proselytise to gain popular support for their opposition to the reformation, when compared to the extreme Protestants.

Elizabeth faced Catholic opposition both at home and abroad. Her perceived weakness - as a female head of a recently-converted avowedly Protestant state - encouraged attacks from other countries' rulers, who could claim moral support from the papacy.

From 1559 to 1568, Elizabeth's government was not overly concerned with internal struggle against Catholics. However, from 1568 there were changes in the circumstances. Mary Queen of Scots formed a rallying point for those Catholics who sought restoration of the religion. The northern Earls revbelled in 1569. The pope excommunicated Elizabeth in 1570 and a succession of plots against the Crown began. There were plots involving Ridolfi (1571/2) Throckmorton (1584) Babington (1586.) The massacre of St Bartholomew's Eve took place in 1572. Jesuit priests and seminary priests were dispatched from Douai and Rome to seek to reconvert the English.

Events

Etrusia is in the process of compiling a list of national events. If you are organising, supporting, publicising or simply know of an event related to any part of the UK history then let us know and we will add it to our list.

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