Poverty: Extent of the Problem Flashcards
Why did the threat posed by vagrants make poverty a significant problem?
They would often move in gangs of 40-50 men, headed by a strong and experienced beggar who provided strong leadership.
These gangs would terrify locals and could get out of punishment by intimidating justices - once, a local magistrate was so scared by the threats of a vagrant that he was allowed to walk free, with his sentence of whipping cancelled
Demobilised servicemen also posed a serious problem as they were some of the most violent of vagrants and could number up to 400 within a shire. Because of their strength (due to their military training), local authorities were often scared to oppose them.
- They were able to evade punishment through gaining inside information on local authorities’ plans to deal with them as they were presentable enough to disguise themselves as honest men and Clandestinely attend assizes, sessions, and assemblies of JPs
Why did local authorities make poverty a significant problem?
The unsuitability of local authorities exacerbated the issue of vagrancy as their many responsibilities were often outside of their capabilities. Their duty to arrest and punish vagrants was often poorly carried out and felons often escaped due to insufficient watchguards - It was estimated that no more than 1 in 5 felons actually went to prison
Without a comprehensive system of poor relief, the responsibility or dealing with every category of poor, inc. the idle, ailing, and the momentarily unemployed, was placed squarely on the shoulders of local officials
Why did career vagrants make poverty a significant problem?
Even though many vagrants gave up begging once a job opportunity presented itself, there were still some who deliberately chose vagrancy and could not be convinced to give it up
The success of prosperous vagrants such as Nicholas Gennings and Mother Arden shows why some found life on the roads more profitable than earning an honest living
Why did the threat of rebellion make poverty a significant problem?
The poor were liable to incite rebellion in tough times as they had nothing to lose and everything to gain. these protests were usually catalysed by economic grievances, which they could bring to the government’s attention through uprisings
E.g:
Uprisings in Suffolk in 1525 as a result of the subsidy for Henry VIII’s wars with France. Those prepared to pay the tax were threatened by 1000 protestors at the county border at Stanstead
An army of around 4000 men assembled in Lavenham and Sudbury during a depression in the clothing industry in the area which led to unemployment. the rising was serious enough for the Dukes of Norfolk and Suffolk to get involved. As a result, Thomas Wolsey ordered clothiers to keep their men employed
Minor uprisings in Norwich and Great Yarmouth in 1517 during a serious shortage of grain - followed by Kett’s rebellion
Why was poverty a threat for a large portion of the population?
Many of the wage-earning class in Tudor England were only just living at subsistence level and could very easily slip below this level in times of bad harvest and depression in certain industries. There was little sympathy for these people and the able-bodied were assumed to be unemployed by choice
Why was vagrancy not as great a problem as it appeared?
Most vagrants desperately wanted to find work and were more than happy to settle down in a specific region once employed
Gypsies were misinterpreted as vagrants because of their lifestyle of permanent wandering, but in reality weren’t a threat to society and only desired to make enough of a living to support themselves and their families
The number of beggars and rogues often increased in times of depression or in the aftermath of a major uprising, but these bursts of activity were immediately followed by long, uneventful periods of relative quietude. This suggests the problem was only an intermittent one.
- In 1598, 71 people were sentenced to death in Devon in a period of poor harvests when rioting and pillaging were more prevalent, whilst in 1570 and 1571 only 29 and 26 beggars respectively were apprehended in Norwich
How did poor rates reduce the significance of poverty as a problem?
Especially in country districts, the income for the poor rate was, more often than not, greater than the expenditure. There were always enough funds to cover the needs of the genuine poor, and occasionally there was enough surplus to run repairs on church fabric.
How did medical care reduce the significance of poverty as a problem?
In serious illness, medical care was most likely accessible. Often the sick were provided with fuel, such as a joint of meat or other necessities during the healing process
How did parish herds reduce the significance of poverty as a problem?
Many parishes maintained flocks of sheep and herds of cattle which provided a revenue used for poor relief.
- Larger flocks included that or Billericay in Essex, boasting 40 sheep in 1599, of which all proceeds went to the relies of the destitute
- The charitable sometimes gave gifts of livestock to contribute to parish flocks and herds. Ten gifts of sheep were made to the village of Wootton in Hampshire.
How did legislation reduce the significance of poverty as a problem?
Tudor schemes for dealing with the poor gradually evolved throughout the period and became better through not just ordering blanket harsh punishments for vagrants, but also providing relief for the poor
