Literacy

Question 1

What happened to the number of oxford students from 1550 to 1601?
What fraction of these students were gentry/yeomanry?

Answer 1

Rose from 1150 to 2000

Just under half were gentry and the rest were yeomen

Question 2

Changes in illiteracy rates for both genders from 1550 to 1600?

Answer 2

Men: illiteracy declined from 80% to 72%
Women: illiteracy declined from 98% to 92%

Question 3

What area had higher rates of yeomen illiteracy?

Answer 3

North England

Question 4

Impact of changing literacy rates among yeomen?

Answer 4

Play an increasingly more important in government and society

Question 5

Role of yeomen in local government. Why is this beneficial for the monarch?

Answer 5

As the yeomen became more literate, they were able to take up more roles in government such as administration of poor laws

Intergration into the political system reduced the likelihood of rebellion eg attempted rising in Oxfordshire in 1596 was led by the poor

Question 6

Potential risk of the yeomen becoming more literate. Give an example

Answer 6

Could begin to play a larger role in leading rebellions eg 1497 Cornish rising was led by yeomen