The Queen's and Embassy Chapels and the Boundaries of Tolerance in Early Stuart London, c. 1603-1643
This thesis explores coexistence, Catholicism’s survival and religiopolitical crises in London through a case study of the queen’s and embassy chapels. A central tension at the heart of early modern society was the imperative to uphold religious uniformity while living with confessional diversity after the Reformation. This was especially pronounced in cosmopolitan London where people of multiple faiths lived in close proximity. However, unlike the regions, there have been no studies of coexistence with Catholics in the English capital. Historians therefore assume that, as in other parts of the country, discreet worship in the home was the reality for most adherents of the Roman faith in a city where anti-popish sentiment sometimes boiled over. Nevertheless, scholars have also recognised that the city’s queen’s and embassy chapels, where lay people had opportunities for communion, are an exception to this rule. The reasons and implications of this, however, have not been thoroughly examined. To address these gaps, this thesis aims to enhance our understanding of tolerance, English Catholicism’s survival, and religio-political crises through a case study of popular worship in these chapels. By examining shared perceptions of its overt character, the study demonstrates surprising parallels with the ostentatious Counter-Reformation piety on the Continent. Often defiantly signalling their presence through visual and auditory cues, it argues that pragmatic royal and everyday tolerance helps us to understand this phenomenon. By exploring official responses to the illicit practices in the chapels, the thesis reveals how dynastic ambitions and elite socio-cultural codes led James I and Charles I to often ignore the problem. It also underlines how pragmatic compromises were made across all social groups, emphasising the role of neighbourliness, status, curiosity, and spatial strategies in the tolerance of the chapels. However, in the context of anti-Catholic prejudices and beliefs about upholding religious orthodoxy, negative reactions to these spaces highlight how they were important sources of opposition to the Crown and anti-popish fervour. In addition to providing fresh insight into religio-political crises and royal governance, the study suggests that London’s queen’s and embassy chapels were crucial for English Catholicism’s survival and for entrenching religious pluralism.
Early modern history, Early modern London, English Catholicism, Religious tolerance, Religious intolerance, Anti-Catholicism, Religio-political crises
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