recusant

In England, those who refused to attend Anglican church services, especially applied to Catholics. The Acts of Uniformity of 1552 and 1559 imposed fines on those who refused to attend, and it was not until the reign of Elizabeth I that the idea of a large and permanent Catholic minority gradually began to be accepted. Even then, an act of 1587 provided for the seizure of up to two-thirds of a recusant's property, although this was only enforced in times of crisis. The fines later became a means of raising revenue rather than a matter of religious policy. Recusants were often associated with the houses of gentry in certain parts of the country, such as the West Midlands which had a strong Catholic community.