Many people, especially English Roman Catholics, who did not wish to attend services of the Church of England were considered "recusants" by the law.  

Under laws passed by Queen Elizabeth I and following monarchs, recusants had many basic civil rights taken away, including being able to purchase land or even go farther than 5 miles away from home. Eventually, most of these rights were given back to recusants during the reign of King George III. However, recusants did not receive full rights and privileges until 1829.  

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Text: Nidia Medina