Key Question 2: Social and Economic Change in the 16th Century

Question 1

Population Growth

Answer 1

• growth during Tudor period was a significant development from just over 2 million in 1500, to 3.8 million in 1603
• Elizs reign showed pressure as she was responsible for a good policy of employment and wage
  ~ Statue of Artificers (1563)
  ~ enforce universal obligation to work and provide employment
• prices rose and harvest fell = problem

Question 2

Population Growth: Statistics

Answer 2

• growth of London 2% in 1520 to 11% by 1700 growth
  ~ foreign and native rural immigration in search of employment, plus greater opportunities for begging, crime and poor relief
• most popular cities = London (60,000-200,000), York (8,000-11,500), Bristol (10,000-12,000) and Norwich (8,000-15,000)

Question 3

Class Structure

Answer 3

• Hierarchy in ranks through title, income, occupation and lifestyle manners
• great chain of being
• progression through = military service, church service, legal training, serving monarch
• progression limits = poor education, economic problems

Question 4

The Rise of the Gentry

Answer 4

• further demonstrating increasing control of law and public office; rise in gentry assume responsibility (JP)
• issuing licences on behalf of the crown, supervising relief for poor
• rise of gentry due to dissolution of monasteries (1536) = land was available (Barlows of Slebech)
• 300-600 (1485) to 5,000 in 1540 rise

Question 5

What was Family life like in the Tudor period?

Answer 5

• 4-5 members
• life expectancy is 35 years
• infant mortality high (134/1000 died)
• illegitimate births was 2.8%
• average couple married 26 years
• poor harvest = endangered life and influenza
• plague was biggest cause of death

Question 6

How wealth relates to Population?

Answer 6

• links between wealth and social status
• 14% of income belong to 1.2% of families
• great landlords own 17% of cultivated land
• London was the wealthiest city

Question 7

How does poverty relate to population?

Answer 7

• half of families were labouring poor
• Northwest was the poorest
• food and drink accounted for 80% poor spending
• 10% in country 20% in town
• poverty was common in most places

Question 8

How is the growth and population significant?

Answer 8

The more people there are the more houses and the more food and jobs that were taken up led to towns growing such as London

Question 9

The Gentry Class: Houses

Answer 9

• wanted to impress
• some stage in castles and alternated between their Summer homes
• focus more on comfort than defence
• most common house was the ‘hall house’ - developed from single room to 3 unit house, the walls made of stone and a fireplace
• 1550 mark changes in house building - house with two stories became common with a fireplace and chimney etc

Question 10

The Gentry Class: Wealth/Landowners

Answer 10

• gentry started arise before Bosworth
• former religious lands became available after the dissolution
• some gain land through loyal service - making fortunes in professions and skills
• gained power to become JP’s
• marriage alliances
  E.g. Wynns of Gwydir or Morgans Family of Tredegar

Question 11

The Gentry Class: Responsibility

Answer 11

• welsh gentry only had a few individuals who had the means to live in a scale that all comparable to the majority of the English counterparts
• master of the house takes care of affairs and goes on business trips
• Welsh gentry also occupied their time with mining industry or fishing - overseas local administrations
• Pope is outside work

Question 12

The Gentry Class: Rise of Nobility

Answer 12

• nobility had no more than about 50 to 60 men owning 10% of land
• nobility died out regularly but replaced by others who had acquired or bought in the Kings favour
• crown relies on families for maintenance of ordering country side
• Henry the seventh reluctant to create new nobility titles
  ~ Didn’t trust Noble’s only trusted Lancaster and military such as Lord Daubeny
• hired nights and Noble to serve them

Question 13

The Gentry Class: Growth of Towns

Answer 13

• 10% of population with urban dwellers
• growth resulted in more people wanting jobs, therefore increasing migration and crime
• 800 or so market towns and cities were scented for a wide range of occupations
• 1525 Norwick second city that had over 80 different crafts and trades
• over 40% of urban workers seem to have worked in textiles
• eight of parliament passed to maintain rivers
• putting out system for clothiers caused decline

Question 14

The Gentry Class: Growth of Industry

Answer 14

• 3018 craftsman 1500 had risen 10,000 by 1540
• England was the primary producer of Rowell and Wollen cloth supplies - undotted pillar of economy as textile exports rose 5 to 6 times
• Weaver Act - mental employers can take advantage of that employees
• putting out system where families would all work as a collective and do different jobs

Question 15

How did merchant shipping increase during Elizabeth’s reign?

Answer 15

In 1560 there was 70 ships six of them over 200 tons compared to in 1582 when they were 155 ships 18 of them over 200 tons

Question 16

The Gentry Class: Rise of Merchant Class

Answer 16

• merchant girls began to form during the mediaeval period
• rules established by merchant. Guild were often incorporated into charters granted to market town such as Cowbridge
• Germon cities of Lubec and Hamburg had the Hanseatic league which dominated trade around the Baltic Sea
• 1300 to 1800 large number of Europeans charted, merchant companies were established to the London league of trade in 1407
• 1600 goods travel short distances grain 5 to 10 miles cattle 40 to 70 miles Will 20 to 40 miles

Question 17

Poverty vacancy 1485 to 1603

Answer 17

• Poverty = inability to afford basics of life
• poppers = poorest of the poor
• vagrancy = being jobless, homeless and moving around most assumed they were criminals
• many believe the poor were lazy and needed to be punished

Question 18

Poverty vacancy 1485 to 1603: Government ‘s views

Answer 18

• afraid Poor would join the uprising as they had nothing to lose
• masterless men and they could do whatever they wanted

Question 19

Poverty vacancy 1485 to 1603: Ordinary People’s views

Answer 19

• panicked with number of vagrancy
• Thomas Cromwell helped with the records, e.g. birth, death, marriage

Question 20

Poverty vacancy 1485 to 1603: Impotent Poor

Answer 20

People who could not work, they are deserving of sympathy

Question 21

Poverty vacancy 1485 to 1603: Able-bodied Poor

Answer 21

Poor people who choose not to work and are deserving of punishment

Question 22

Factors Affecting Poor People: Social and Economic Causes

Answer 22

• rising population
• fluctuations in cloth trade
• enclosure, i.e. not allowing others to use land
• disease

Question 23

Factors Affecting Poor People: Political Causes

Answer 23

• banning Private armies
• dismissing soldiers and sailors after war and not paying them

Question 24

Factors Affecting Poor People: Religious Causes

Answer 24

• Break with Rome
• the dissolution of the monasteries

Question 25

Factors Affecting Poor People: Making Poverty Worse

Answer 25

* price rises * declining value of silver and gold * Henry the eighth debasement of coinage * bad harvest * rising population

Question 26

Factors Affecting Poor People: Closure of Monasteries

Answer 26

* end of monastic charity * end of monastic schools for boys

Question 27

What was the extent of governments understanding of poverty?

Answer 27

* poor being unemployed was not their fault - not realised till Henry VII reign * poor relief was collected on a parish basis - looked after their own * priests helped with charity but didn’t mainly deal with it * impotent poor were given outdoor relief * with more able-bodied unemployment local system of poor relief couldn’t cope = vagrancy rise * protestantism made a difference (Lutherans believed in leaving money, calvinists chosen to save)

Question 28

Government Legislation: Henry VII’s Reign

Answer 28

* 1495 Act I) beggars would be put in stocks for three days II) whipped and sent back home ~ Act was rarely used and vagabonds didn’t wanna go home

Question 29

Government Legislation: Henry VIII’s Reign

Answer 29

* 1531 Act I) distinguish between poor II) allowed impotent poor to beg III) vagrants would be whipped and sent home ~ Not or poor were the same and therefore shouldn’t be treated the same * 1536 Act ~ Government took responsibility for the poor ~ Provide apprenticeships for sons of poor families (seven years and they would have a skill) ~ However Not widespread enough to work

Question 30

Government Legislation: Cromwell’s Bill

Answer 30

* 1535 Bill created by William Marshall and Thomas Cromwell ~ Recognise not enough jobs for growing population ~ Propose a scheme of public works, government would provide jobs ~ New type of tax form ~ Ultimately rejected as it was too costly

Question 31

Government Legislation: Edward VI’s Reign

Answer 31

* 1547 Act (passed by Edward Seymour) ~ Two year servitude for any able bodies vagrant ~ Branding e.g. V on shoulder or face ~ Unemployment more than three days = vagrant ~ Children seized for work ~ Act was repealed for being too harsh ~ 1531 act was revived * 1552 Act ~ locals contributed to poor relief ~ bishop would pressure those who refused to pay ~ Real realisation poor relief needed funding in order to work

Question 32

Government Legislation: Mary I’s Reign

Answer 32

* 1555 Act ~ allowed begging in areas with larger number of poor ~ Rich parishes were instructed to help ~ However Not workable

Question 33

Government Legislation: Elizabeth I’s Reign

Answer 33

* 1563 Act ~ Collection of poor rate was compulsory and refusal led to imprisonment * 1563 Statue of Artificers ~ Created social stability providing jobs for men between 12 and 60 mainly in agriculture (wheat need) ~ Wages rose easing poverty ~ Locals donate * 1572 Vagabonds act ~ Compulsory contributions ~ Elderly was helped ~ Tried controlling food shortages ~ Bad harvest = riots (1573 to 1586 and 1596 to 1597 years a bad harvest)

Question 34

Government Legislation: The Revolt of Northern Earls (Elizabeth I’s Reign)

Answer 34

* 1569 ~ Vacant joined which scared the government ~ Arrival of Mary Stewart in 1568 ~ Punitive act passed * 1569-1572 Whipping Campaign ~ Purge on poor ~ 1st offence = whipping and branding ~ 2nd offense = servitude ~ 3rd offense = hanging

Question 35

Government Legislation: The Great Elizabethan Act Pt1 (Elizabeth I’s Reign)

Answer 35

* 1598 1) acts of relief of poor ~ Collect compulsory poor rate ~ Provide apprenticeships ~ Find jobs for children of the poor ~ Build hospitals and outdoor relief and alms-houses 2) acts of punishment of rogues ~ Professional poor = criminal class and they were whipped ~ If inmates didn’t work, they weren’t fed ~ Taught basic trade

Question 36

Government Legislation: The Great Elizabethan Act Pt2 (Elizabeth I’s Reign)

Answer 36

* 1601 ~ Families take responsibility for older members ~ Organise pensions for ex-soldiers and counties had to take responsibility due to the war in Spain ~ Girls would be found domestic work to do This act remained unchanged until poor law amendments act of 1834 introduced work houses

Question 37

Government Legislation: Poor Law Committee 1597 (Elizabeth I’s Reign)

Answer 37

* Matthew Parker * Thomas Aldrich * Edward Hext

Question 38

What were the efforts made by municipal/towns to deal with poverty?

Answer 38

Local legislation was progressive and saw the problem firsthand and were more realistic on how to deal with it such as keeping vagabonds under control care for indigenous local people, provide grain stores and stock rising money

Question 39

Efforts made by Towns: London Example

Answer 39

Was a big place and had a lot of poverty and vagabonds - rich idea of living * 1533 poor rate was not compulsory * 1547 Payments of poor relief were compulsory but not well organised * had to keep storing grain * asked Henry VIII for help he allowed some monistic buildings in an around London to be used for charitable purposes e.g. Saint Bartholomeus in Saint Thomases * Christ Hospital was built for orphan children * Bettle was for the insane and Brighdwell it was for sturdy beggars

Question 40

Efforts made by Towns: Ipswich Example

Answer 40

* 1569 survey of poor and some given license to beg * Bridewell/house of correction/municipal Hospital/training schools were all set up

Question 41

Efforts made by Towns: Norwich Example

Answer 41

* tax poor collection was compulsory * 1551 there was 51 beggars * 1557 permanent grain store/treasure for poor * ensure local poor didn’t support uprising * city Corporation concerned about native and local people who weren’t a threat and itinerant poor corrupting them * begging was banned and funds were set up for the poor that raised 5000 in 1570s * Saint Gillies for Young and Bridewell for vagabonds, women would look after other women and children

Question 42

What were the efforts made by the church to poverty?

Answer 42

* Lutheran protestants believed only faith got you into heaven, calvinists we saved * Low contributions from the clergy - Bishops supposed to give 10% but no evidence that they did. * Charity seen as virtue by * While country was Catholic, people gave as saw it as a way of 'buying' your place in heaven - impossible for a rich man to get in to heaven. * parishes would help to look after their own poor * Catholic or Protestant took very little overall responsibility for poverty or vagrancy

Question 43

What were the efforts made by merchants/individuals to help with poverty?

Answer 43

* prevent social disorder which could disrupt trade * left bequests for charitable trusts which established schools or outdoor relief * They sometimes provided capital for businesses to be set up, this can be seen as charitable and as an investment * social rehabilitation ~ Improve welfare of prisoners, paying apprenticeships, providing working material for poor, paid for hospitals ~ pay for poor girls dowries so they could marry well * Examples ~ Land owners were expected to look after tenants helping with food and money Robert Dudley ~ Gave money ~ Set up hospitals in Warwick ~ Built almshouses