Pearson Edexcel · A-Level · History
Course version: 9HI0 · Version from Sept 2015
Catholicism and its survival: popular attitudes to Catholicism; the extent…
Full specification wording
Religious changes, 1509–88: Catholicism and its survival: popular attitudes to Catholicism; the extent of religious changes, 1529–36; the survival of Catholicism in the regions; recusancy and Jesuit missions in Elizabeth’s reign; the role of the Catholic nobility.
Catholicism retained deep roots because parish religion blended doctrine with calendar, guild and pilgrimage.
Checked against the Pearson Edexcel 9HI0 specification (opens in a new tab) on .
- Point 2 of 3
- 4 key terms
Study notes
From the checked teaching notes for this specification point.
The idea
Catholicism retained deep roots because parish religion blended doctrine with calendar, guild and pilgrimage. Popular attitudes ranged from devout attachment to outward conformity, so assessing change means weighing compliance against conviction. Between 1529 and 1536 royal supremacy, dissolution of smaller monasteries and attack on papal authority altered structures, yet doctrine and much ritual survived. Regionally, survival was strongest in the north and west, where distance, local gentry patronage and conservative clergy sustained traditional worship. Under Elizabeth, recusancy separated the loyal but non-attending from the committed; seminary priests and Jesuits, notably Edmund Campion, revived mission. Catholic nobles such as the Howards and Percy family offered protection, though loyalty to the crown often limited resistance.
What earns the marks
- Explains that popular attitudes were mixed: many accepted the royal supremacy as law while continuing traditional devotions such as prayers for the dead, saints' days and pilgrimage.
- Analyses the extent of change 1529–36 by distinguishing institutional change (supremacy, monastic dissolution) from doctrinal continuity, since the Ten Articles of 1536 were broadly conservative.
- Assesses regional survival through geography, patronage and clergy: remote northern and western parishes retained mass, chantries and guilds longer than the south-east.
- Evaluates recusancy as a spectrum from occasional conformity to principled refusal, and links Jesuit and seminary missions to fines, hiding and gentry households.
- Judges the Catholic nobility's role as protectors, patrons and sometimes rebels, balancing their influence against royal control through councils and lieutenancy.
Common mistakes and how to put them right
Treating all Catholics as uniformly devout.
Put it right by distinguishing convinced recusants from conformists who attended church to avoid fines.
Assuming the 1530s ended Catholic worship.
Put it right by noting that doctrine and most parish ritual continued despite the break with Rome.
Confusing Jesuits with all missionary priests.
Put it right by specifying that Jesuits were one order among seminary priests trained abroad.
Exam tips
- Anchor each claim to a named region, group or event so the argument is evidenced rather than generalised.
- Weigh change against continuity explicitly, since the question asks about extent and survival.
- Use short concluding judgements that answer the precise wording of the question.
Try the lesson
The start of the Religious changes, 1509–88: Catholicism and its survival: popular attitudes to Catholicism; the extent of religious changes, 1529–36; the survival of Catholicism in the regions; recusancy and Jesuit missions in Elizabeth’s reign; the role of the Catholic nobility. lesson, made from checked teaching notes for this specification point.
Have a go first
What was the primary constitutional impact of the Submission of the Clergy in 1532?
Listen
Catholicism retained deep roots because parish religion blended doctrine with calendar, guild and pilgrimage. Popular attitudes ranged from devout attachment to outward conformity, so assessing change means weighing compliance against conviction. Between 1529 and 1536 royal supremacy, dissolution of smaller monasteries and attack on papal authority altered structures, yet doctrine and much ritual survived. Regionally, survival was strongest in the north and west, where distance, local gentry patronage and conservative clergy sustained traditional worship. Under Elizabeth, recusancy separated the loyal but non-attending from the committed; seminary priests and Jesuits, notably Edmund Campion, revived mission. Catholic nobles such as the Howards and Percy family offered protection, though loyalty to the crown often limited resistance. A strong answer earns marks for these points. Explains that popular attitudes were mixed: many accepted the royal supremacy as law while continuing traditional devotions such as prayers for the dead, saints' days and pilgrimage. Analyses the extent of change 1529–36 by distinguishing institutional change (supremacy, monastic dissolution) from doctrinal continuity, since the Ten Articles of 1536 were broadly conservative. Assesses regional survival through geography, patronage and clergy: remote northern and western parishes retained mass, chantries and guilds longer than the south-east. Evaluates recusancy as a spectrum from occasional conformity to principled refusal, and links Jesuit and seminary missions to fines, hiding and gentry households. A common slip: Treating all Catholics as uniformly devout. Instead, distinguishing convinced recusants from conformists who attended church to avoid fines. Exam tip: Anchor each claim to a named region, group or event so the argument is evidenced rather than generalised.
Key words
Say what each word means before you turn the card.
Popular religion and conformity
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Institutional versus doctrinal change
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Regional variation and local patronage
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Recusancy, mission and noble protection
Try answering aloud or in your head before turning the card.
See every definition
- Popular religion and conformity
- Parish religion blended doctrine with calendar, guild and pilgrimage, and popular attitudes ranged from devout attachment to outward conformity.
- Institutional versus doctrinal change
- Between 1529 and 1536 royal supremacy, dissolution of smaller monasteries and attack on papal authority altered structures, yet doctrine and much ritual survived.
- Regional variation and local patronage
- Survival was strongest in the north and west, where distance, local gentry patronage and conservative clergy sustained traditional worship.
- Recusancy, mission and noble protection
- Under Elizabeth, recusancy separated the loyal but non-attending from the committed, seminary priests and Jesuits revived mission, and Catholic nobles offered protection.
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