Poverty: Contribution of the Church

Question 1

When was the Church most involved in providing poor relief?

Answer 1

Was primarily responsible for social welfare in the country up to the early 1540s when the Reformation began to have hold

Question 2

Up until the reformation, how did the Church provide poor relief?

Answer 2

Mainly relieved poverty and vagrancy through monastic institutions which were responsible for:
Providing medical care for the poor
Distributing leftover food to paupers at the abbey gates
Executing terms of various wills

Church as a whole set an example for parishioners in emphasising the importance of charity and alms giving

Question 3

How did the Church contribute to poor relief following the Reformation?

Answer 3

Churchmen still exercised some political influence as members of Parliament and municipal councils, from which they were able to coordinate relief measures

Continued to encourage charity and philanthropy

Question 4

To what extent was the Church less influential in providing poor relief following the Reformation?

Answer 4

No longer had the resources to directly help the poor - church financially struggled

Clergy were generally not very generous in donating to the poor

Question 5

Which area of the Church continued to contribute to poor relief following the Reformation?

Answer 5

The secular Church: parish councils

Question 6

How was the removal of monastic charity felt in Exeter ?

Answer 6

Sources of poor relief that disappeared after the dissolution:

St John’s Priory provided £29 out of its income of £102 to support 13 paupers living in the hospital and 9 students of grammar

St Nicholas’ priory provided dinner every day for 7 poor men

At St Mary Arches the income of £19 was shared between the priest and 12 poor men