After the separation of the English Church from Rome under Henry VIII, Elizabeth I imposed a moderate Protestantism that became the legitimate form of worship of the Church of England.

The Elizabethan period was a time of extreme wealth and poverty, justified by a strong belief in the ‘natural order’ of society. Education, diet, costume, housing and sport were socially stratified. Football, for example, was a game only for peasants.

Culturally, it was an intensive period of lyrical poetry, theatrical plays, new history books, geographical discovery, and the beginning of the establishment of schools, although superstition still remained. Most people still believed in witches, and many women accused of witchcraft were publicly burnt.

The wealth and population of England lay in rural areas. The country house was the centre of administration for the surrounding land, and also a showcase of success and a visible display of wealth. Owning land meant power through farming, rent money, votes, men for military service, and therefore influence within the government.

Diagram of some key events of the Sixteenth century (or list of key events; both links open in new windows).