Marian exiles facts for kids
The Marian exiles were English Protestants who had to leave their home country. They fled to other parts of Continental Europe between 1553 and 1558. This happened during the rule of the Catholic Queen Queen Mary I and her husband King Philip. These Protestants mainly settled in countries that were also Protestant, like the Netherlands, Switzerland, and Germany. Some also went to France, Italy, and Poland.
Contents
Why Did They Leave England?
During the 1500s, there were big changes in how people practiced Christianity in Europe. In England, King Henry VIII had separated the Church of England from the Pope and the Catholic Church. This led to England becoming more Protestant.
However, when Queen Mary I came to power, she wanted England to be Catholic again. She believed that the Protestant changes were wrong. Because of this, Protestants in England faced serious danger. Many were arrested, and some were even killed for their beliefs. To avoid this persecution, many Protestants chose to leave England and seek safety in other countries. This is why they are called "Marian exiles" – "Marian" refers to Queen Mary I, and "exiles" means people forced to leave their home country.
Where Did the Exiles Go?
More than 800 Protestants left England during this time. Most of them went to places like the Low Countries (which include modern-day Netherlands and Belgium), Germany, and Switzerland. There, they joined local Protestant churches or started their own English church groups. A smaller number of exiles went to countries like Scotland and Denmark.
Some of the main cities where English exiles formed communities included:
The exiles did not plan to stay away forever. They hoped to return to England when it was safe. There was a lot of discussion among them about whether it was right to flee or if they should have stayed and faced the danger. This concern made people respect those who stayed in England and became martyrs (people who died for their faith). One famous exile, John Foxe, wrote about these martyrs.
Who Were the Exiles?
Most of the exiles were religious leaders, like priests (67 people), or students studying to become religious leaders (119 people). The next largest group was wealthy landowners, called gentry (166 people). These gentry, along with others back in England, helped pay for the exiles' journeys and living costs.
Some well-known people among the exiles included:
- William Cecil (who later became a very important advisor to Queen Elizabeth I)
- Sir Anthony Cooke
- Dame Dorothy Stafford
Out of about 500 known English exiles, there were also:
- 40 merchants (traders)
- 32 artisans (skilled workers)
- 7 printers
- A few lawyers, doctors, and farmers
Some of the artisans were weavers who settled in Aarau. Many people helped the exiles financially. This included leaders from other countries, like the King of Denmark, and important Protestant leaders on the continent, such as Heinrich Bullinger.
Many important English Protestant leaders of the future were among the Marian exiles. These included people who would later become bishops (high-ranking church officials), such as Edmund Grindal and Edwin Sandys. The disagreements that happened among the exiles about how churches should be run and how people should worship actually helped shape the future of the Church of England. These disagreements also led to the rise of groups like the Puritans.
Life in Exile Communities
The English exiles tried to keep their communities organized and continue their religious practices. However, different groups had different ideas about how their churches should be set up.
Strasbourg Community
In the city of Strasbourg, the English exiles followed the rules and services of the 1552 Book of Common Prayer. This was a prayer book used in England. Many future bishops, like John Ponet and Edmund Grindal, were part of this community at different times.
Frankfurt Community
The first group of English exiles arrived in Frankfurt in June 1554. They managed to get an empty church building to use. They held their first service in July, using a simpler church service plan. This plan was created by William Whittingham. The church in Frankfurt adopted a system where deacons (church helpers) were also expected to preach.
Local leaders in Frankfurt, which was a Lutheran city, asked the English church to follow the style of the French Protestant church there. This French church had been set up by Valerand Poullain, who had worked with John Calvin, a very important Protestant reformer.
The English exiles in Frankfurt saw themselves as a model for all other English exiles. However, their church practices were simpler than what many other English Protestants wanted, especially those in Strasbourg and Zürich who wanted to keep using the English Book of Common Prayer. Because of these differences, the English Church in Frankfurt often had arguments about how to worship and organize their church.
An informal "university" was even set up by the Frankfurt community. Here, people like Robert Horne taught Hebrew, and John Mullins taught Greek.
Troubles at Frankfurt
The different ideas about church organization and worship quickly led to big arguments, especially in Frankfurt. A famous disagreement happened between Richard Cox and John Knox. This clash became a symbol of the larger struggle between those who wanted to keep the Church of England's traditional ways and those who preferred a simpler, more Presbyterian style.
Geneva Community
The largest group of English exiles, and often the most radical in their ideas, settled in Geneva. This community was mainly led by John Knox. At its peak, there were about 233 English people in Geneva, which was about 2% of the city's total population! Records of new members, marriages, baptisms, and deaths were kept in a book called the Livre des Anglais.
The English church in Geneva was the first to fully adopt a Presbyterian way of organizing and worshipping. This was different from the more traditional approach favored by some in Frankfurt. These new ways were printed in 1556 as the Book of Geneva. This book became very important and was even used officially by the Church of Scotland for many years.
The English church in Geneva was also where the Geneva Bible was created. This Bible became the most popular English version of its time. It was known for its notes that supported Protestant ideas and even suggested that people could resist unfair rulers.
While in Geneva, John Knox wrote a very strong book called First Blast of the Trumpet Blowen Against the Monstrous Regiment of Women. In this book, he spoke out against all female rulers. Many other English exiles disagreed with him, especially those who wanted to gain favor with the new Queen Elizabeth I. For example, John Aylmer wrote a book in response to Knox, defending the idea of female rule.
John Calvin, another very famous Protestant reformer, suggested that the English exiles could hold their services in the building where he gave his lectures. This building is now known as the Calvin Auditory. English worship still takes place there today, run by the Church of Scotland.
Some important members of the English church in Geneva included William Whittingham, Miles Coverdale, and Thomas Bodley.
- Ministers (religious leaders): Christopher Goodman (1555–1558), Anthony Gilby (1555), and John Knox (1556–1558)
- Elders (church leaders): William Williams (1555–1558), William Whittingham (1555–1556), and Miles Coverdale (1558)
- Deacons (helpers): John Staunton (1555–1556), Francis Withers (1556–1557), and John Pullein (1557)
Return to England
When Queen Mary I died in 1558, her Protestant half-sister, Elizabeth I, became queen. This meant it was safe for the Marian exiles to return to England. Many of them did, and they brought back with them the new ideas and experiences they had gained during their time abroad. These ideas greatly influenced the development of the Church of England and the rise of Puritanism in the years that followed.
See also
- Puritanism
- Anglicanism
- Protestantism
- Vestments controversy
- Elizabethan Religious Settlement
- The Protestant Reformation
Sources
Primary
- A Briefe Discourse of the Troubles begun at Frankeford in Germany (1575)
- John Knox, Of the Proceedings of the English Congregation at Frankfurt, in March 1555.
- John Strype, Annals of the Reformation.
- John Brett, A Narrative of the Pursuit of English Refugees in Germany Under Queen Mary.
Secondary
- William D. Maxwell, The Liturgical Portions of the Genevan Service Book used by John Knox While a Minister of the English Congregation of Marian Exiles at Geneva, 1556–1559. (London: The Faith Press, 1965.) [First published by Oliver and Boyd, 1931.]
- Frederick A. Norwood, "The Marian Exiles—Denizens or Sojourners?" Church History 13:2 (June 1944): 100–110.
- Brett Usher, "The Deanery of Bocking and the Demise of the Vestiarian Controversy," Journal of Ecclesiastical History 52.3 (July 2001): 434–455.
- Ronald J. Vander Molen, "Anglican Against Puritan: Ideological Origins during the Marian Exile," Church History 42.1 (March 1973): 45–57.
- Jonathan Wright, "Marian Exiles and the Legitimacy of Flight From Persecution," Journal of Ecclesiastical History 52.2 (April 2001): 220–43.
