Hierarchies Flashcards
How many towns were there at the start of the period
800
What did race refer to
A group of people
Give an example of a successful black person
Ignatious Sancho
How was the term sort often used?
As a derogatory term such as ‘the meaner sort’ or ‘the common sort’. ‘Middle sort’ was often used to refer to goods rather than people.
Who often used the language of sorts?
The better sort
How people were referred to as opposed to class
Of a certain ‘sort’
Quote Barry and Brooks: the relationship between the better sort and the poorer sort
“The richer and better sorts were enjoined to keep hospitality and stop profiteering in order to help the poorer and meaner sorts during times of suffering (1590s)”
Quote, Crawford: Status of women’s citizenship in EM England
Women’s citizenship in Early Modern England was always ambiguous
What kind of roles did women have?
Ones that were more maternal, chruchwardens and overseers of the poor
Which women was voting confined to?
Single women and widows
How active were women in the political sphere?
They were somewhat active, would riot when there were bad harvests, would petition parliament. Generally peaceful protests, played into stereotypes.
What were key definers of the middle sort?
Bigger houses with fireplaces and furniture, more expensive clothes, generally in positions of authority
Increasingly across the period what made people more well respected?
A culture of high society, with concern over being well dressed and well versed in business
What can the common ideas of an urban middling sort be traced to?
Capitalistic ideals such as common profit, business success and citizenship
What was the ideology of improvement?
An ideology which argued land should be used as a productive resource rather than one of shared use
What happened to the relations between the middling sort and the poor across the period?
Responsibilities of the middling sort moved away from paternalistic relations of hopitality
Example of a typical dynamic between the poorer and better sort
Thomas Turner, shopkeeper and middle sort saw Sam Jenner, a poorer man as a worthy companion, despite being of lower status. Sam Jenner did odd jobs for Turner though showing a power dynamic
Quote Muldrew, the identity of the middling sort
There may have been little sense of national experience and identity among England’s middling sort, there was a general belief in profit and commercialisation as a dynamic, ethically justifiable social system
What was the middle sorts definition of the meaner sort
Those who had ‘neither voice nor authority in the common wealth, but are to be ruled and not to rule the other’
How did Gregory King classify the meaner sort?
Those who were losing money for the nation, they were making less than they were consuming
What was the key feature of labouring people?
They earned part or all of their living through working for wages
What was the best gaurantee of living?
Owning livestock, especially cattle
When was the worst problem with poverty across the period and why?
Between 1550-1650, this was due to high population growth causing high rates of inflation
Why was a stable income unreliable for many of the poor?
Grain prices were unreliable, that was the main thing the poor spent money on. This did improve past 1700
What was the contemporary definition of someone who was poor?
You were poor if you couldn’t support yourself through your own labour
What was the difference between deserving and undeserving poor?
The deserving poor were poor because they couldn’t work, they were ill or disabled. The underserving poor were poor because they were lazy and didn’t want to work
What is the life cycle of poverty?
The link of poverty to certain stages in a persons life. The elderly were more likely to be poor as were those with more children.
What % of poverty was old age responsible for in Norwich?
16%
How did poverty vary in Norwich?
Greatly from one ward to another. From 7-8% poor all the way to 36-41% poor
What were the poor laws?
The English poor laws were a series of acts passed by parliament which introduced a system of parish based poor relief funded by compulsory taxation
What was the flaw with the poor law system?
There was no criteria of what is was to belong to a parish so parishes would get rid of people who were going to require poor relief
What did the workhouse act of 1723 do?
Erected workhouses and allowed parishes to deny poor relief to those who didn’t enter them.
By what point was every parish contributing to poor law?
1690s
What was the intention behind poor law?
To supplement household income rather than completely provide it
By the 1770s how many Africans resided in London?
Between 3,000 and 15,000
