Poverty In Elizaabethan England

Question 1

Population explosion (4)

Answer 1

Sudden increase in no. individuals in place

Population in England grew 35%

Towns & cities growing fast in London (by 1603 population 150 000 (10x larger than second biggest city Norwich))

Food production grrow slower than population so price food (especially bread dramatically rose)

Question 2

Vagabondage

Answer 2

Someone outside “great chain of being” (not belong to certain place)

Question 3

Subsistance farming (2)

Answer 3

Growing enough to feed family
Not to sell crops grown

Question 4

Impotent/deserving/helpless poor (3)

Answer 4

Unable to work due to illness/age
Paid by special tax called “poor rate”
People thought should help those unable to work as an act of christian peity

Question 5

Able-bodied/undeserving/idle poor (3)

Answer 5

Could work but chose not to
Usually vagrants & vagabonds if caught were whipped/imprisoned
People losing job/land more common in towns

Question 6

Enclosing (3 (part 2 has 4 points & part 3 has 2 points))

Answer 6

Replacing large, open fields that were farmed by villagers into individual fields belonging to 1 person

Big fields farmed by many now belong to 1 landlord
Small farms merged & farmers evicted
Loandowners become rich but
Normal poeple that grew own food but lost way of life & had to move on

1560s Sir Tomas Smith blame gentry & yeomen for prefereing sheep tocrops due to better price in wool
Saw enclosure as one of biggest social problems in Elizabethan England

Question 7

Urbanisation (5)

Answer 7

Poeple start leave countryside creating increased probem of vagabondage

People leave home for work in towns/cities

Many forced become beggars & lived in shanty towns outside walls of London

Can’t grow food in Urban area so food grown in countryside & broughts to Urban area

Towns & cities growing fast in London (by 1603 population 150 000 (10x larger than second biggest city Norwich))

Question 8

Changes in countryside (3 (1 has 3 points, 2 has 4 points & 3 has 2 points))

Answer 8

Sheep farming become more profitable as wool price increase due to increased demand of woolen cloth grow
Only large farms could afford to grow sheep then rate unemployment rose as lesspeople needed to work on sheep farm
Food was grown to feed sheep angering peasants as they went hungary but sheep had enough to eat

Big fields farmed by many now belong to 1 landlord
Small farms merged & farmers evicted
Loandowners become rich but
Normal poeple that grew own food but lost way of life & had to move on

1560s Sir Tomas Smith blame gentry & yeomen for prefereing sheep tocrops due to better price in wool
Saw enclosure as one of biggest social problems in Elizabethan England

Question 9

Rsing prices (4 (1 has 3 parts)

Answer 9

Sheep farming become more profitable as wool price increase due to increased demand of woolen cloth grow
Only large farms could afford to grow sheep then rate unemployment rose as lesspeople needed to work on sheep farm
Food was grown to feed sheep angering peasants as they went hungary but sheep had enough to eat

Wages not rise as fast as prices as lots people want jobs so couldd only pay them less

Land lords start charge higher rent prices to than tenant could afford so many evicted as couldn’t keep up with rising prices

Food production grrow slower than population so price food (especially bread dramatically rose)

Question 10

Statue of artificies (4)

Answer 10

1563
Aimed to ensure poor relief collected
If refuse to pay rates could be imprisoned
If officials fail organise poor relief could be fined up to £20

Question 11

Vagabonds act (8)

Answer 11

1572

Deters vagrancy:
Vagrants whipped & have hole drilled in ear
Vagrants imprisoned if caught twice
Vagrants given death penalty if caught 3 times

Established national poor rate (shelter impotent poor)

Justice of the Peace keep register of poor

Towns & cities given responsibility to find work for able-bodied poor

Question 12

1563 poor law (5)

Answer 12

Magistrates have power raise funds for poor relief
Fined perople who refused to pay
People decide how much they want to pay

Underserving poor whipped

Helped deserving & helpless poor

Question 13

1572 poor law (2)

Answer 13

Local officials decide how much people pay to poor relief
Helped deserving & helpless poor

Question 14

1576 poor law (4)

Answer 14

Able-bodied poor sent to special prison funded by poor rates if refuse to work if they were given help

Distinguish betweeen able bodied & impotent poor

Help able-bodied poor find work

Justice of the peace provide able-bodied poor with wool & rawmaterials enabling them to work by making things to sell