Reformation & Consequences
Reformation
In 1534, King Henry VIII broke with the Papacy and became head of the Church of England. The Act of Supremacy refers to two Acts of the English Parliament declaring and establishing Henry VIII and his successors as the supreme head of the Church of England. He was the “only supreme head on Earth of the Church of England,” and the Crown was to enjoy “all honours, dignities, pre-eminences, jurisdictions, privileges, authorities, immunities, profits, and commodities to the said dignity.”
The Acts were framed as acknowledging an existing position. In 1544, Parliament conferred the title “Defender of the Faith” on Henry VIII.
The Irish Supremacy Act (28 Hen. 8. c. 5 (I), An Act Authorising the King, His Heirs and Successors, to be Supreme Head of the Church of Ireland) was passed by the Parliament of Ireland, establishing Henry VIII as the supreme head of the Church of Ireland.
The Treason Act 1534 made it treason, punishable by death, to disavow the Act of Supremacy 1534, maliciously wish, will or desire by words or writing, or by craft imagine, invent, practise, or attempt any bodily harm to be done or committed to the King’s most royal person, the queen’s or the heir’s apparent [Elizabeth], or to deprive them of any of their dignity, title or name of their royal estates, or slanderously and maliciously publish and pronounce, by express writing or words, that the King should be heretic, schismatic, tyrant, infidel or usurper of the crown.
Reformation in Ireland
In 1537, the Irish Parliament appointed Henry VIII as head of the Irish church. Although many bishops and most clergy refused to conform, the Church of Ireland retained possession of diocesan buildings and lands, which were held under feudal tenure from the Crown. A large majority of the population remained loyal to the Roman Catholic Church. Later, in Ulster, Presbyterians outnumbered members of the Church of Ireland, reflecting the strong influence of Scottish Presbyterianism.
The oath of supremacy required persons taking public office in the Kingdom of Ireland to swear allegiance to the King as supreme governor of the church. Failure to do so was treasonable.
The oath read: “I, [name], do utterly testify and declare in my conscience, that the King’s Highness is the only supreme governor of this realm, and all other his Highness’s dominions and countries, as well in all spiritual or ecclesiastical things or causes, as temporal: And that no foreign prince, person, prelate, state or potentate hath or ought to have any jurisdiction, power, superiorities, pre-eminence or authority ecclesiastical or spiritual within this realm. And therefore, I do utterly renounce and forsake all jurisdictions, powers, superiorities, or authorities; and do promise that from henceforth I shall bear faith and true allegiance to the King’s Highness, his heirs and lawful successors: and to my power shall assist and defend all jurisdictions, privileges, pre-eminences and authorities granted or belonging to the King’s Highness, his heirs and successors or united and annexed to the Imperial Crown of the realm: so help me God: and by the contents of this Book.”
Later Tudors
The Act of Supremacy was repealed in 1554 during the reign of Henry VIII’s daughter, Queen Mary I. Upon her death in 1558, her sister Elizabeth I succeeded to the throne. Parliament passed the Supremacy Act 1558, declaring Elizabeth the supreme governor of the Church of England and instituting the oath of supremacy, requiring persons taKing public or church office in the Kingdom of England and the Kingdom of Ireland to swear allegiance to the monarch as supreme governor of the church. Failure to do so was treasonable.
The 1558 Act declared Queen Elizabeth I and her successors as supreme governor of the church. It required persons taKing public or church office in the Kingdom of England and the Kingdom of Ireland to swear allegiance to the monarch as supreme governor of the church. Failure to do so was treasonable.
The 1559 oath read: “I, A. B., do utterly testify and declare in my conscience that the Queen’s Highness is the only supreme governor of this realm, and of all other her Highness’s dominions and countries, as well in all spiritual or ecclesiastical things or causes, as temporal, and that no foreign prince, person, prelate, state or potentate hath or ought to have any jurisdiction, power, superiority, pre-eminence or authority ecclesiastical or spiritual within this realm; and therefore I do utterly renounce and forsake all foreign jurisdictions, powers, superiorities and authorities, and do promise that from henceforth I shall bear faith and true allegiance to the Queen’s Highness, her heirs and lawful successors, and to my power shall assist and defend all jurisdictions, pre-eminences, privileges and authorities granted or belonging to the Queen’s Highness, her heirs or successors, or united or annexed to the imperial crown of this realm. So help me God, and by the contents of this Book.”
In 1560, the Irish Parliament passed an Act “An Act Restoring to the Crown the Ancient Jurisdiction over the State Ecclesiastical and Spiritual, and Abolishing All Foreign Power Repugnant to the Same.”
Reign of James I
Throughout the 16th and 17th centuries, Gaelic Irish and Old English aristocracy retained significant political power. Most of them did not subscribe to the established church and remained loyal to the Roman Catholic Church. The English government and administration were reluctant or unable to strictly enforce the laws against them.
Upon the accession of James VI of Scotland to the English and Irish thrones in 1603, it was expected that James, whose mother was the Catholic Mary Queen of Scots, would relieve laws against Catholics. This coincided with the end of the Gaelic Irish Rebellion in the Nine Years’ War (1594-1603), followed by the Flight of the Earls in 1607, the forfeiture of large holdings of land in Ulster, and the plantation of Ulster.
The Gunpowder Plot of 1605 was planned by a group of English Catholics who were disappointed by the hope that James would relax laws against Catholics.
From 1607, Catholics were banned from holding office or serving in the Irish army. This effectively required members of the Privy Council, the Irish Privy Council, the Lord Deputy of Ireland (effectively constituting the government), and the judiciary to be members of the established church. In 1613, the Irish House of Commons constituencies were altered, disenfranchising representatives of the Irish Catholic community.
In all Kingdoms, Catholics had to pay recusant fines for non-attendance at Anglican services. Catholic churches were transferred to the Church of Ireland. Catholic priests were tolerated, but bishops were forced to operate clandestinely.
Charles I & the Graces
Charles I, whose wife Queen Henrietta Maria was a French Catholic, afforded the Graces in return for support by the Irish Catholic nobility and the understanding that reforms would follow once taxes were passed. The Graces were a series of reforms sought by Roman Catholics in Ireland from 1628 to 1634.
A number of influential Catholics in the Parliament of Ireland (Old English and Gaelic nobility) sought to redress their position during the reign of Charles I. They proposed that Catholics, like the Crown, play a full role in Irish society.
In 1628, the King and a large delegation of nobles agreed on 51 articles known as the Graces because the agreement was entitled “Matter of Grace and Bounty.” They provided for property rights and religious freedom. They were effectively given in return for taxation of £120,000 in three instalments. The first Graces were proclaimed and the first instalment was paid.
The Irish Parliament was expected to ratify the Graces, but the Lord Deputy did not summon Parliament. The Irish Parliament was led by Thomas Wentworth, whose principal objective was making Ireland profitable for Charles. The supply bill/taxation was first agreed upon by the Catholic members with the understanding that the Graces, in the form of 51 articles, would be passed by the second session of Parliament in late 1632. The Catholic MPs briefly had a majority due to the absence of some Protestant MPs.
Civil War & Confederacy
The King was sympathetic, but his aims were frustrated during Thomas Wentworth’s Lord Deputieship from 1632 to 1640. On November 20, 1634, Thomas Wentworth refused to allow two of the Graces. These extended the statute of limitations in Ireland to guarantee the titles of landowners.
The Graces were subsequently shelved despite protestations to Charles. Wentworth’s subsequent policies compounded the situation. Freehold titles of Old English families were challenged and could only be rectified by payment of large fines.
In April 1641, King Charles and the Privy Council of England instructed the Irish authorities to publish the bill to enact the Graces. However, the reforms were not implemented before the rebellion and subsequent War of the Three Kingdoms.
The Irish Confederacy was established in 1642 with papal support. It was eventually suppressed by the Cromwellian reconquest of Ireland from 1649 to 1653.