Back in the day, with England having a functioning monarchy and such, the Church of England (Episcopal) was decreed as THE church by the monarchy. Anyone following the Catholic faith (having been promulgated by Rome for a thousand years) was outlawed.
This was, of course, back when the Christian religion was gleefully at the heart of most wars (Crusades, Spanish Inquisition, anyone?).
So "Priest holes" became a big thing in English country homes. They were carefully hidden hidey-holes somewhere in the house, often leading to tunnels that allowed escape. The priest would grab his Catholic tokens and dodge into the hole while the King's troops looked for evidence of evil Catholic influence in the house above.
If any of you have attended Catholic and Episcopal services, you will immediately realize there is essentially no describable difference between them. No matter - the King made a decree and the troops enforced it.
And thus, priest holes.
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