Social Networks and Ideological Movements in History : Burning and the Rise of English Protestantism Andrew P. Roach & Paul Ormerod

Social networks and ideological movements in History: burning and the rise of English Protestantism

English Monarchs Henry VIII 1509 – 1547 Edward VI (minor)1547 – 1553 Mary I “Bloody Mary”1553 – 1558 Elizabeth I 1558 – 1603

Social networks and ideological movements in History: burning and the rise of English Protestantism 1.How contemporaries thought of martyrdom as a way of influencing popular opinion 2.Weighted scale free networks to assess importance of burnings a) in population at large b) among reform minded “activists”

Protestant Preambles in % of wills DurhamYorkHullNorthantsCanterburyLondon YearDiocese TownCountyDioceseCity Source: R Whiting Local Responses to the English Reformation (London 1998)

Social networks and ideological movements in History: burning and the rise of English Protestantism Conversion Model characteristics (Weighted) scale-free network – 500 individuals Individual switches when > 2/3 of influence is in rival camp Assumed - Catholic 92%; Reformed Protestant 7%; Freewiller (Other) 1% 500 solutions

Social networks and ideological movements in History: burning and the rise of English Protestantism Figure 1Percentage of population who end up as Catholics. Initially, 92 per cent are Catholic, 7 per cent Reformed Protestant and 1 per cent Freewiller. Initially everyone, including the most influential individuals, is allocated at random to these categories in the respective percentages

Social networks and ideological movements in History: burning and the rise of English Protestantism Figure 2Percentage of population who end up as Catholics. Initially, 92 per cent are Catholic, 7 per cent Reformed Protestant and 1 per cent Freewiller. Initially everyone, except the most influential 0.2 per cent of individuals, is allocated at random to these categories in the respective percentages. The most influential 0.2 per cent are allocated as Reformed Protestants.

Social networks and ideological movements in History: burning and the rise of English Protestantism Figure 3Percentage of population who end up as Catholics. Initially, 92 per cent are Catholic, 7 per cent Reformed Protestant and 1 per cent Freewiller. Initially everyone, except the most influential 0.4 per cent of individuals, is allocated at random to these categories in the respective percentages. The most influential 0.4 per cent are allocated initially as Reformed Protestants.

Social networks and ideological movements in History: burning and the rise of English Protestantism Conclusions 1.If no burnings then England may well have remained Catholic 2.Persecuted Protestants were right: Burnings helped conversion (not enough to make majority BUT enough people now likely to consider switching to weaken traditional religion) 3.Martyrdom of leading Reformed Protestants marginalised competing Protestant groups

Social networks and ideological movements in History: burning and the rise of English Protestantism

“Be of good comfort Master Ridley and play the man. We shall this day light such a candle, by God’s grace in England, as I trust shall never be put out.” Hugh Latimer

Social networks and ideological movements in History: burning and the rise of English Protestantism Andrew P Roach – Lecturer in History University of Glasgow Paul Ormerod – Director, Volterra Consulting

Social networks and ideological movements in History: burning and the rise of English Protestantism Further Reading E. DuffyThe Stripping of the Altars 2nd ed. (Cambridge, 2005) F. Heal, Reformation in Britain and Ireland, (Oxford, 2003) P. Ormerod & A.Roach‘The medieval inquisition: scale- free networks and the suppression of heresy’, Physica A, 339 (2004), R. Whiting Local Responses to the English Reformation (London, 1998) “Foxe’s Book of Martyrs” online at:

Social networks and ideological movements in History: burning and the rise of English Protestantism Copies of presentation to be found at: