6.1 Synoptic - Poverty

Question 1

what poverty legislation was there under HVIII?

Answer 1

1531
- by Cromwell, only allowed to beg if you had a license, if you didn’t you were WSPO
- Cromwell also distributed foodstuffs to the London poor (up to 200 people a day)

1536
- money raised through voluntary contributions making it pretty uncoordinated
- occurs in the same year as the dissolution of the monasteries

Question 2

what poverty legislation was there under HVII?

Answer 2

1495
- all beggars to be placed in stocks then WSPO

Question 3

what poverty legislation was there under Somerset?

Answer 3

1547
- funds for the poor to be collected through the church
- unemployed for more than three days classed you as a vagrant
- conviction for illegal begging to lead to branding
- introduction of the death penalty but no evidence it was ever applied

Question 4

how many pieces of poverty legislation were there under Elizabeth?

Answer 4

six

Question 5

what are the dates for poverty legislation under Elizabeth?

Answer 5

1. 1552
2. 1563
3. 1572
4. 1576
5. 1598
6. 1601

Question 6

what legislation was passed in 1552

Answer 6

• attempted to create a census of beggars to reduce the number of unauthorised begging
• begging without a licese saw WSPO

Question 7

what poverty legislation was passed in 1563?

Answer 7

• people found refusing to make contributions to poor relief could be taken to court and even imprisoned
• illegal begging = WSPO

Question 8

what poverty legislation was passed in 1572?

Answer 8

• full act of parliament
• local ratepayers had to make compulsory contributions to poor relief (rates established by JPs)
• overseers of the poor to coordinate relief appointed for the first time
• further punishments for begging introduced such as ear-boring

Question 9

what poverty legislation was passed in 1576?

Answer 9

• poor law act passed (responsibility of JPs to provide work to those able bodied)
• houses of correction established for those who refused to work

Question 10

what poverty legislation was passed in 1598?

Answer 10

• another poor law act is passed defining the powers of the overseers much more
• they were in charge of collecting poor rates and distributing them
• children of the poor could become apprentices
• there must be at least one house of correction in each county

Question 11

what poverty legislation happened in 1601?

Answer 11

• brought all previous legislation together in a single act