Dates To Remember And The Increase In Poverty Flashcards
Poor Relief Act
1576
The aim was to distinguish between the able bodied and deserving poor so they could help the able bodied find work by providing them with wool and materials to make and sell.
If the able bodied refused to work they got sent to a special prison funded by poor rates known as the house of correction.
Vagabonds Act
1572
The aim was to deter vagrancy.
Vagabonds were whipped and a hole drilled through each ear.
They were imprisoned on the 2nd time for vagrancy and a death penalty for the 3rd time of vagrancy.
Statute Of Atificers
1563
The aim was to ensure that poor relief was collected.
Anyone who refused to pay the poor rates could be imprisoned.
Officials failing to organise poor relief could be fined up to £20.
Religious changes
Henry viii closed all of the monestries and sold the land and this was called the DISSOLUTION OF THE MONESTRIES!
Before the monestries had supported the poor and the ill.
The closing of the monestries meant those in need now had no charity and their destruction increased poverty.
The money from the dissolution of the monestries didn’t go to the poor.
Enclosure of land
Large fields where villagers could plant crops was replaced with small closed fields owned by one person.
There were more animals being farmed meaning it was better to enclose them to keep them in and for growing crops.
This meant TENANT FARMERS were evicted who rented land before.
Fewer people could grow crops and it was very expensive to farm animals.
So many of them travelled to towns and cities in hope of finding work they were vagabonds and they begged.
Rising population
England’s population grew by 35% the growth was the biggest in towns and cities and London became the fastest growing city.
No food was grown in the city so got brought in from the country.
This meant there were food shortages as there were more people to feed.
The price of food went up.
Many poor harvests
There was a higher charge for rent and the poor spent all their money on food and shelter.
What was a Vagrant?
Vagrants were people without a home or work.
Many vagrants were also seen as vagabonds.
Vagabonds- idle and dishonest people who wondered towns and committed crimes.
A Vagrant
People without work or a home.
A Vagabond
Someone who was idle and dishonest and wondered towns and committed crimes.
What types of people were poor?
- People on low wages.
- Orphaned children.
- The sick and elderly.
- Widows.
- Vagrants and vagabonds.
Falling Wages
- Wages didn’t rise as fast as prices
- In 1563 the government passed the Statute of Artificers which made a maximum wage. People couldn’t earn as much money.
- More people worked to pay for food and shelter. The basics of living.
The Statute of Artificers meant wages didn’t riser in live with food prices.
Workers err not able to afford much.
The Statute of Artificers
1563
It meant the government made a maximum wage and people were spending all their money on basic necessities such as bread and shelter, it made many poor and led people to poverty.
Inflation/Rising Prices
- Bread was the basis of people’s diets and prices GREW!
- There were poor harvests and landowners put prices up for land, when someone bought land they also had to pay an entree fee. This meant farmers couldn’t afford to keep their land and they were evicted, and then poor.
- Prices also grew due to the rising population.
Sheep farming
Wool became very popular in England, this meant sheep farming became more popular and farmers could make more profit.
Flocks contained over 2000 animals.
Because sheep farming took up land farming sheep did not require as many workers.
Unemployment in the countryside grew as farmers and workers were losing their jobs.
More of the crops were used to feed the sheep instead of people.
The deserving poor
The old and sick who couldn’t help themselves.
