Historical Context:

The 16th century saw great religious change with the reigns of Henry VIII, Edward VI and Elizabeth I transforming Catholicism in England into an illegal faith. It was not until the reign of Elizabeth that anti-Catholic legislation was fully established. Catholicism was punishable by fines, imprisonment and even execution. As a result, English Catholics were forced to hide their practice and the artefacts they needed for celebrating mass – the sacred vessels and the mass vestments worn by priests.

The penal period, which existed until 1829 , began with Elizabeth’s 1558-70 Acts of Supremacy which enforced conformity to the established church. There was an escalating system of fines and deprivations, starting with confiscation of goods and going up to high treason, punishable by hanging, drawing and quartering. Celebrating Mass was prohibited. Celebrant and worshippers alike could be fined and imprisoned. Further acts to control recusants – that is those who refused to attend the established Church services - and against missionary priests from the Continent were passed under James I & VI, exacerbated by fears aroused by the 1605 Gunpowder Plot. Catholics who travelled overseas without a special licence from the Monarch were placed under financial restrictions until they returned and took the Oath of Allegiance and their property was to be held by their nearest Anglican heir. The list of restrictions, fines and threats goes on and on.

In this environment English Catholics preserved, made, and commissioned liturgical textiles of varying forms. Pre-reformation vestments from cathedrals and parish churches were saved from destruction and re-used by English Catholics in their secret chapels. Vestments were also made to suit the need for concealment and were fashioned out of durable, often plain fabric.

Many English Catholics fled to Catholic countries in Europe and established English seminaries, schools, monasteries and convents. These institutions allowed the continuation of the Catholic faith in England as English Catholic gentry send their sons and daughters abroad for education and to enter the religious life. The majority of these institutions returned to England in the late 18th century after the upheaval of the French Revolutions, often bringing their fine continental vestments with them or returning medieval vestments to their homeland.

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