Poverty

Question 1

Impotent poor

Answer 1

Those who were incapable to work due to health or age.

Recognised they needed poor relief

Question 2

Able-bodied poor

Answer 2

Those who were capable of work but were either unable to or unwilling to find employment.

Question 3

Idle poor

Answer 3

Able bodied people who chose not to work.

Question 4

Vagabonds and Vagrants

Answer 4

A homeless and unemployed person who travelled to find work

Question 5

Alms houses

Answer 5

Provided food, clothing and shelter for the impotent poor

Question 6

Houses of correction

Answer 6

Places where the idle poor were imprisoned for petty crime

Used hard labour as punishment

Question 7

Dummerer

Answer 7

Vagrant who pretended to be dumb to get charity from passers by

Question 8

Ruffler

Answer 8

Former soldiers who robbed, used threats or begged to get charity

Question 9

Counterfeit crank

Answer 9

Pretended to suffer from epilepsy by sucking on soap

Question 10

Doxy

Answer 10

Had a bag that was disguised for knitting, would pick up stuff worth money

Question 11

Abraham man

Answer 11

Pretended to be mad hoping people would pity them

Question 12

Clapper dungeon

Answer 12

Put arsenic on skin to make it bleed

Question 13

Hooker/ angler

Answer 13

During the day knocks on houses seeking charity
Attempts to find valuables whilst doing this
Returns at night to reach through windows using hook to steal them.

Question 14

Statute of Artificers

Answer 14

1563
Compulsory for boys to serve a 7 year apprenticeship on a craft to create more employment
Maximum wage limit set

Question 15

Impact of statute of artificers

Answer 15

Tied men down to one area, giving them less job options

Question 16

Vagabonds Act

Answer 16

1572
Severe penalties used on vagrants: whipping, hot iron on the ear death penalty for 3rd offence
JPs to keep a register of the poor with help from overseers
Local people pay a poor rate for impotent poor

Question 17

Impact of Vagabonds Act

Answer 17

Able-bodied poor suffered harsh punishments and humiliation
Act didn’t address the cause of poverty - didn’t help
The government did however recognise some people needed support

Question 18

First Act for the Relief of the Poor

Answer 18

1576
JPs built 2 houses of correction per county
Materials were kept in every town to provide work for those who couldn’t find a job
Those who refused to work sent to correction houses

Question 19

Impact of the first poor relief act

Answer 19

Provided a bit of work for able bodied vagrants
Punished vagrants further
Did nothing to remove the causes of poverty

Question 20

Second Act for the relief of the poor

Answer 20

1598
4 Overseers per parish to collect and supervise administration of poor relief
Work to be found for able bodied men and women
Poor children to learn a craft ir trade
Poor rate introduced that was compulsory for all civilians

Question 21

Impact of 2nd poor relief act

Answer 21

Attempted to provide jobs
Did help some people in need of support
Remained until 1834

Question 22

Act for the Punishment of Rogues

Answer 22

1598
JPs established houses of Correction for rogues and vagabonds
Begging was strictly forbidden
If you were found begging you were whipped and taken to house of correction/ place of birth

Question 23

Impact of Act of the Punishment for rogues

Answer 23

Helped to contain vagrants turning to crime
Reduced risk of social unrest
Increases poor treatment of those in poverty

Question 24

Final act for the relief of the poor

Answer 24

1601
1598 Poor law made permanent
Became known as the Elizabethan Poor Law

Question 25

Impact of final Act for relief of the poor

Answer 25

A realisation that the government had responsibility toward helping the poor
Set up legal framework to tackle poverty

Question 26

Houses of the poor

Answer 26

Lived in small cottages with 1 room, share w animals sometimes
No windows only shutters
Dirty and not comfortable

Question 27

Education of the poor

Answer 27

Some children went to local parish school and taught basic lessons in English
Most couldn’t go and instead worked from a young age