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Queen Mary I (1516-1558) wanted to make Roman Catholicism the religion of England and had nearly 300 people burned at the stake because they objected.

Foxe used the term because he was a Protestant and Mary had killed nearly 300 protestants. Compare the following statistics:

Monarch / length of reign / Persons burnt (executed for heresy)

Henry VII - 24 years - 10

Henry VIII - 38 years - 81

Edward VI - 6 years - 2

Mary I - 4 years - 284

Elizabeth - 44 years - 5

However, these are figures for heresy crimes alone, and they had far more people put to death than this for other crimes. Also Mary was married to a Spaniard and Spain's rulers were renowned for their cruelty in this period towards those they saw as heretics. (At least 2000 were killed in Spain by the Spanish Inquisition)

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15y ago

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