medieval-atlas/the-church/410

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Roman Catholic recusancy Recusancy after 1650 was marked by a distinct increase in the number of apostates from Protestantism. Although the toleration conceded in 1687 lasted barely two years and was sandwiched between anti-popish riots in Edinburgh, the brief reign of James VII afforded Catholics the opportunity to worship publicly and propagate their faith free from harassment by the kirk. Holyroodhouse became the centre of Catholicism in Scotland, with a chapel run by the secular clergy, a Jesuit college and a printing press for devotional tracts and liturgical books. Although the deposition of James VII in 1683 obliged the Scottish Mission to resume its covert and underfunded posture, the king's refusal to sacrifice his faith for his throne stiffened the resolve of the recusants not to be reconciled to Protestantism in the Highlands and Islands; moreover, despite a continuing shortage of Gaelic-speaking priests there was a pronounced drift towards Catholicism in the wake of the Revolution Settlement. Catholicism was given a unifying national focus in 1694 when the appointment of Thomas Nicholson as vicar-apostolic Number of Families 500 -1000 • 101 -500 -• 51 -100 11 50 0 5 -10 School brought the Scottish Mission under the episcopal jurisdiction of the first native bishop since the demise of the last of the pre-Reformation hierarchy ninety-one years earlier. (The canonical authority exercised by prefects-apostolic since 1653 had been confined to secular clergy in the Lowlands.) Although Nicholson did not take up his duties in Scotland until 1696 and another five years were to elapse before the Jesuits made a formal and complete submission to his authority, the proved standing of the Scottish Mission in the eyes of Propaganda ensured that the number of serving priests rose steadily above thirty by 1707. Yet despite the radical transformation of Catholicism into a community-based faith by the early eighteenth century, recusancy remained a minority pursuit between 1603 and 1707. Professed papists probably amount to no more than 2% of the total population in this period. South Uist 2 Moidart Glengarry 4 Barra 5 Benbecula 6 Eigg 7 Arisaig and South Morar 8 Knoydart and North Morar 9 Strathfarrar, Strathglass and the Aird 10 Braes of Lochaber II Braemar 12 Upper Deeside 13 Inveravon and Glenlivet 14 Bellie 15 Edinburgh 16 Canna 18 Huntly 19 Cairnie 20 Rum 2t Trollemish 22 Ross 23 Badenoch 24 Inverness 25 Keith 26 Chapel of Garioch 27 Aberdeen 28 Aboyne 29 Muthill 30 Terregles 31 Troqueer 32 New Abbey 33 Colvend 34 Urr 35 Buittle 36 Lewis 37 North Uist 38 Sleat 39 Muck 40 Mull 41 Largie 42 Elgin 43 Grange 44 King Edward 45 Mortlach 46 Glass 47 Botriphne Gartly '----48 ~49 Forgue 50 Ellon 51 Drumblade 51 Insch 53 Echt ~ 54 Peterculter 55 Cargill 56 Athelstaneford 57 Dumfries ~58 Caerl averock 59 Kelton 60 Glasgow 61 East Kilbride 62 Glassford kms o I 2[> 59, 7,5 , 100 miles Roman Catholic recusancy 1685 to 1707 AIM 410

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