Elizabeth- Life in Elizabethan times / Poor and common people Flashcards
How much of people’s income in the labouring poor was spent on food and drink?
80%
By what proportion did the population grow between 1550 and 1600?
Over 40%
What were causes of poverty in Elizabethan times?
- inflation- lots more silver in circulation in Europe due to exploration
- Henry VIII reduced value of coinage to pay for wars
- ends of wars resulted in out of work soldiers and sailors
- End of trading wool with the Netherlands resulted in less money being in sheep farming even though ‘enclosure’ had devided the fields for farming sheep in earlier years
- Enclosure removed farm labourers from jobs
- Removal of monestaries got rid of a key source of charity for the poor
What were poor classified into?
‘impotent’ and ‘idle’ poor
What were names given to con-men in Elizabethan times that encouraged people not to give to the poor?
Counterfeit cranks- pretended to have fits and use soap to foam at the mouth
Abraham men- pretend to be mad
How were poor people viewed negatively in Elizabethan times?
- as theives
- as too lazy to work
- as spreading disease from place to place
Who was a writer in Elizabethan times that spread fear about the poor?
Thomas Harman
In what ways did Elizabeth attempt to reduce poverty?
- Ease inflation with a full recoinage in her early reign
- The Act of Husbandry and Tillage in 1598 tried to protect rural jobs by making enclosure harder
- Act for Relief of the Poor- 1597 (paid tax towards a local poor rate)
What structures existed to help people in poverty?
- Almshouses
- Censuses were carried out to find those who needed help
- ‘Houses of Industry’- workhouses for the out of work
- Hospitals (e.g. Bethlehem Hospital “Bedlam” for the insane)
How long did the Poor Law last for?
After its amendment in 1601, the Poor Law lasted for over 200 years
Why might Elizabeth have introduced the Poor Law?
To deter rebellion
