The Brits did not adopt the Gregorian calendar until 1752. The motivation for this stubbornness was probably a matter of faith:
[link|http://webexhibits.org/calendars/year-text-British.html|http://webexhibits.o...text-British.html]
[link|http://www.uwe.ac.uk/fas/wavelength/wave12/johnson.html|http://www.uwe.ac.uk...ve12/johnson.html]