Recusancy

[3] The 1558 Recusancy Acts passed in the reign of Elizabeth I, and temporarily repealed in the Interregnum (1649–1660), remained on the statute books until 1888.

The first statute to address sectarian dissent from England's official religion was enacted in 1593 under Elizabeth I and specifically targeted Catholics, under the title "An Act for restraining Popish recusants".

Recusants were subject to various civil disabilities and penalties under English penal laws, most of which were repealed during the Regency and the reign of George IV (1811–30).

The Nuttall Encyclopædia notes that Dissenters were largely forgiven by the Act of Toleration under William III, while Catholics "were not entirely emancipated till 1829".

[11] They became connected by marriage to Catholic families across the kingdom, including the Arundells, Blundells, Cliffords, Erringtons, Gillows, Haydocks, Petres, Ropers, Shireburns, Smythes, Stourtons, Throckmortons, Vaughans and Vavasours.

[14] Although the document has since been lost, Anthony Holden writes that Malone's reported wording of the tract is linked to a testament written by Charles Borromeo and circulated in England by Edmund Campion, copies of which still exist in Italian and English.

[15] Other research, however, suggests that the Borromeo testament is a 17th-century artefact (at the earliest dating from 1638), was not printed for missionary work, and could never have been in the possession of John Shakespeare.

Some of Byrd's most popular motets were actually written as a type of correspondence to a friend and fellow composer, Philippe de Monte.

Dorothy Lawson was a Catholic noblewoman who used her autonomy, financial independence and social status as a widow to harbour priests in her household.

[19] She was a patroness of the Society of Jesus, who met yearly at her home to discuss the mission in England, employed Catholic servants, held religious services for the local community,[20] and visited recusants who were imprisoned in jail for their beliefs.

Notable converts were Christina, Queen of Sweden,[26] daughter of Gustavus Adolphus; and Sigrid Undset, Nobel Prize-winning author of Kristin Lavransdatter.

The number of ethnic Swedes who are Roman Catholic is fewer than 40,000, and includes Anders Arborelius, a convert and the first Swedish bishop since the Reformation.