Professor Alexandra Walsham University of Cambridge, President of the Historical Association. Wednesday 2nd April 2025.

In the space of 45 minutes Alexandra Walsham presented a fascinating overview of the treatment of ‘heretics’ and the argument that Britain evolved into a tolerant nation during the Reformation.  She began by exploring these contrasting terms including interpretations of previous generations of historians including Henry Kamen and Perez Zagorin.  Tracing back the treatment of ‘heretics’ in the 15^th century she showed how during the Tudor and Stuart periods the state stepped in to combine the crimes of heresy and religious conformism with that of treason.  While Elizabeth did not ‘make window on men’s souls’ during her reign she faced a series of plots and risings in which Catholics were hung, drawn and quartered rather than burnt as heretics. 

‘Secret Catholics’ were increasingly known as ‘Roman Catholics’ and in James’ reign fear of plots increased. In Charles I’s reign the Counter Reformation and the possibility of a Catholic royal marriage increased anxiety but there was also increased persecution of ‘Puritans.’  The Irish Rebellion of 1641 led to the fear of a Popish plot in the rest of the Kingdom. This culminated in a second reformation during the Civil War.  There was intolerance of radical sects and but also Anglicans and Catholics.  In the Restoration there was not liberal toleration but the exclusion of radical dissent and fear by some clergy of a return to ‘Popery.’ This was illustrated by the protest of a mock pope and cardinals in 1679. 

John Locke the philosopher’s ‘Letters on Toleration’ argued that persecution of different beliefs produced hypocrisy and there should be relativity and plurality of truth.  But the Glorious Revolution of 1688 did not produce this version of toleration with only toleration shown to Protestant dissenters but not to Catholics or atheists or Arians.

 Alexandra concluded her lecture by illustrating how persecution continued well into the 18^th century and the Whig myth of a tolerant Britain was far from the reality.  The scholarly lecture which covered so much ground was followed by some excellent and well informed questions that touched on issues including the persecution of witches, the treatment of those who left Britain for the colonies in order to worship more freely and how Christians described themselves.