Church Faith and Religion
Church and religion have been a dominant and underlying factor in the history of Britain. This historic theme explores the many functions it has had within society. Use the timeline at the bottom of this page to explore the theme of church and religion in Britain.
Folio 292r Incipit to John
The triangle of ecclesiastical power, monarchical power and political power has been the subject of many struggles.
Read how the dynamics between King John and the church brought about Magna Carta.
The country has been stretched and squeezed over the question of religion, society changed, attitudes and tolerances altered. Consider the Reformation and the arrival of the Hanoverian kings. Religion has been fundamental in what Britain is today.
The Church of England also has a law-making role in Britain. Twenty-six bishops sit in the House of Lords and are known as the Lords Spiritual. They are there to bring a religious ethos to the secular process of law but in a multi cultural society, many now question their role there.
The role of the Christian church in British history underpins much of how and why society evolved as it did. For hundreds of years it played a pivotal role both in the lives of ordinary people and the highest in the land.
The purpose of separation of church and state is to keep forever from these shores the ceaseless strife that has soaked the soil of Europe in blood for centuries.
James Madison 1803
The sign of the Cross, seen in so many guises
Britain is not just home to the Church of England. Many other faiths have impacted our society and communities have grown around these faiths. We consider the role of church and religion in terms of modern history.
Use the timeline below to explore the history of the church in Britain. At the moment in covers the period AD 84 - 1558 and the accession of Queen Elizabeth I and will be added to over time. If you want to contact us about it Simply go to our contact page by clicking here. If it looks to be all about the Christian church that is because that was the main religion in Britain to that point. As the timeline is added to so the topic will become more rounded.
| Year | Event | Narrative |
|---|---|---|
| 84 | Conquest of Britain by ArgicolaAgricola During the Roman Period in British History. | |
| 200 | Planting of the church in Roman Britain An approximate date, from works by Tertullian and Origen written between 208 and 240 | |
| 397 | Mission of St Ninian in Galloway | |
| 463 | Death of St Patrick Dates surrounding St Patrick are subjective | |
| 563 | Foundation of the monastery of Iona by St Clumba | |
| 597 | Planting of the church in Kent by St Augustine | |
| 603 | Interview of St Augustine and the Welsh bishops | |
| 604 | Foundation of the English sees of London and Rochester | |
| 604 | Death of St Augustine | |
| 616 | Banishment of Mellitus Bishop of London | |
| 634 | Planting of the church in Wessex by Birinus | |
| 664 | Conference of Whitby | |
| 666 | Consecration of St Chad as Bishop of York | |
| 668 | Consecration of Theodore as Archbishop of Canterbury | |
| 669 | St Chad becomes Bishop of Lichfield | |
| 669 | Wilfrid becomes Bishop of York | |
| 673 | Synod of Hertford | |
| 678 | Division of the Northumbrian diocese. | |
| 678 | Appeal of Wilfrid | |
| 681 | Banishment of Wilfrid | |
| 681 | Wilfrid evangelises Sussex | |
| 685 | Consecration of St Cuthbert as Bishop of Lindisfarne | |
| 687 | Death of St Cuthbert | |
| 687 | Reconcilliation between Theodore and Wilfrid | |
| 690 | Death of Theodore | |
| 690 | Quarrel between Aldfrid and Wilfrid leading to second banishment of Wilfrid | |
| 702 | Assembly at Easterfield, second appeal of Wilfrid | |
| 706 | Restoration of Wilfrid to diocese of Hexham | |
| 709 | Death of Wilfrid | |
| 709 | Establishment of the see at Selsey | |
| 755 | Martyrdom of St Boniface | |
| 794 | Vikings invade Lindisfarne | |
| 827 | Egbert becomes King of the English | |
| 836 | Begining of major Danish invasions in South | |
| 870 | Danes capture east Anglia. Martyrdom of St Edmund | |
| 871 | Alfred accedes to the crown | |
| 871 | Danes attack Wessex | |
| 878 | Alred beats the Danes at Ethandun | |
| 878 | Peace of Chippenham | |
| 942 | Archbishop Odo professed a Benedictine monk at Fleury | |
| 959 | St Dunstan made Archbishop of Canterbury | |
| 988 | Death of St Dunstan | |
| 995 | The see of Lindisfarne finally established at Durham | |
| 1012 | Martyrdom of Archbishop Alfeah | |
| 1051 | Robert of Jumieges made Archbishop of Canterbury | |
| 1052 | Stigand made Archbishop of Canterbury | |
| 1065 | Consecration of Westminster Abbey to St Peter | |
| 1066 | Norman invasion and crowning of William I | |
| 1070 | Deposition of Stigand by the papal legates | |
| 1070 | King William I appoints Lanfranc Archbishop of Canterbury | |
| 1075 | Council at St Pauls. The sees are moved to the towns | |
| 1076 | Council at Winchester Enforcement of clerical celibacy. Refusal of fealty to the Pope by King William | |
| 1086 | Completion of the Domesday Survey | |
| 1093 | St Anselm appointed Archbishop of Canterbury | |
| 1095 | Council at Rockingham | |
| 1096 | First exile of St Anselm | |
| 1100 | Charter of Liberties Return of St Anselm | |
| 1102 | Council at Westminster | |
| 1103 | Quarrel about investitures Second exile of Archbishop Anselm | |
| 1107 | Council at London Settlement of investiture question | |
| 1109 | Foundation of the see at Ely | |
| 1139 | Quarrel between King Stephen and the bishops | |
| 1139 | Civil War and anarchy | |
| 1153 | End of the anarchy | |
| 1162 | Thomas Becket appointed Archbishop of Canterbury | |
| 1163 | Quarrel between Becket and King Henry | |
| 1164 | Constitutions of Clarendon Flight of Becket | |
| 1170 | Reconcilliation of Henry and Becket | |
| 1170 | Murder of Becket in Canterbury Cathedral | |
| 1174 | Penance of Henry at Canterbury | |
| 1184 | King Richard I crowned | |
| 1199 | King John crowned | |
| 1205 | Disputed election to Canterbury | |
| 1207 | Stephen Langton appointed Archbishop of Canterbury by Pope Innocent | |
| 1213 | Assembly at St Pauls. John submits to the Pope England becomes a fief of the papacy | |
| 1215 | Granting of Magna Carta | |
| 1215 | Council of the Lateran | |
| 1215 | Pope absolves John of his promises and suspends Langton | |
| 1216 | King Henry III crowned | |
| 1219 | Arrival of Dominions in England | |
| 1224 | Arrival of the Franciscans in England | |
| 1237 | Legatine Council under Otho in London | |
| 1258 | Barons assume the government under de Montfort | |
| 1272 | King Edward I crowned | |
| 1295 | Organisation of the nation in parliament | |
| 1297 | Confirmation of the Charters | |
| 1301 | Parliament of Lincoln | |
| 1307 | King Edward II crowned | |
| 1308 | Suppression of the Knights Templar | |
| 1327 | King Edward III crowned | |
| 1349 | The Black Death | |
| 1366 | Final repudiation of fealty to the Pope | |
| 1378 | Begining of the Great Schism | |
| 1381 | The Peasant's Revolt | |
| 1382 | Condemnation of Wicliffe | |
| 1386 | The Lord's Appellant | |
| 1399 | King Henry IV crowned | |
| 1410 | Petition of the Commons for the disendowment of the higher clergy | |
| 1413 | King Henry V crowned | |
| 1414 | Lollard Act Passed | |
| 1417 | End of the Great Schism | |
| 1455 | War of the Roses | |
| 1461 | King Edward IV crowned | |
| 1483 | King Richard III crowned | |
| 1485 | King Henry VII crowned | |
| 1501 | Marriage of Prince Arthur to Catherine of Aragon | |
| 1509 | King Henry VIII crowned | |
| 1509 | King Henry marries Catherine of Aragon | |
| 1521 | Lutheran books burned at St Pauls | |
| 1526 | Introduction of Tynesdale's New Testament | |
| 1530 | Death of Wolsey | |
| 1531 | The recognition of the supremacy by the Convocations | |
| 1532 | The Submission of the Clergy | |
| 1533 | Cranmer made Archbishop of Canterbury | |
| 1533 | Decisions of the Convocations in favour of the divorce | |
| 1533 | The divorce pronounced by Cranmer | |
| 1534 | Act of the Submission of Clergy | |
| 1534 | Decision of the Pope against the divorce | |
| 1534 | Act of succession in Anne Boleyn and her children | |
| 1534 | Verbal Treasons Act | |
| 1534 | The Supreme Head Act | |
| 1535 | Execution of Fisher and More | |
| 1535 | Appointment of Cromwell to be vicar general | |
| 1535 | Visitation of the religious houses begun | |
| 1535 | Bull of excommunication of Henry VIII prepared | |
| 1536 | Act vesting the smaller religious houses in the King | |
| 1536 | Divorce and execution of Anne Boleyn | |
| 1536 | The Pilgrimage of Grace | |
| 1536 | Authorisation of the use of Coverdale's Bible | |
| 1536 | Act finally repudiating papal authority | |
| 1537 | The Bishop's Book | |
| 1538 | Authorisation of the Great Bible by the King | |
| 1538 | Burning of Lambert for Zwinglian opinions | |
| 1538 | Injunctions of Cromwell against superstitiously used images | |
| 1539 | Act confirming the suppression of all the religious houses | |
| 1539 | Act of the six articles | |
| 1540 | Execution of Cromwell by Act of Attainder Burning of Barnes, Jerome, Gerard for Lutherian opinions | |
| 1543 | The Kings Book | |
| 1544 | Publication of the Litany in English | |
| 1545 | Act granting colleges, chantries and free chapels to the King | |
| 1547 | King Edward VI crowned Government in the hands of Somerset and the council. Repeal of the treason acts of King Henry VIII and the Act of six articles | |
| 1548 | Order of the Council to remove images | |
| 1548 | Order of Communion published | |
| 1548 | Imprisonment of Gardiner | |
| 1549 | First prayer book of Edward VI | |
| 1549 | First Act of Uniformity | |
| 1549 | Act permitting clerical marriage | |
| 1549 | Act for the destruction of the Latin service books | |
| 1550 | Publication of the Ordinal | |
| 1550 | Destruction of stone altars | |
| 1550 | Cranmer's Treatise on the Eucharist | |
| 1552 | Deprivation of Gardiner | |
| 1552 | Second prayer book of Edward VI | |
| 1552 | Second Act of Uniformity | |
| 1553 | The 42 articles, the Catechism and Primer | |
| 1553 | Mary crowned Queen | |
| 1553 | Restoration of the deprived bishops | |
| 1554 | Marriage of Philip and Mary | |
| 1554 | Repeal of the anti papal statutes | |
| 1554 | Reconcilliation of England to the Papacy | |
| 1555 - 1558 | Marian persecutions. Burning of Cranmer, Hooper, Ridley, Latimer and about 300 others, mainly for Zwinglian opinions. |