Relief for the poor

Question 1

Explain the initial poor Act of 1572

Answer 1

• An Act of 1572 established the principle that local ratepayers should be required to pay a rate for the poor relief of their own poor people.

Question 2

Explain the Significance of the Poor Law Act 1576

Answer 2

The Poor Law Act of 1576 was the first act to attempt to create a national system of poor relief to be financed and administered locally. Under this act towns were required to make provision for the employment of ‘deserving’ poor.

Question 3

Explain the significance of Poor acts in 1597 + 1598

Answer 3

• 2 Further Acts were passed in 1597 + 1598

The Act for the relief of the poor + The punishment of rogues;

An ‘overseer of the poor’ role was created which had the responsibility of calculating the amount of poor rate required for there parish + to collect it from property owners, supervise the parish poor house + 4 oversees are appointed which ensure the young have apprentice opportunities for the poor.

Question 4

Explain the significance of Elizabeths Poor Law Act of 1601

Answer 4

Under Elizabeth’s Poor Law Act of 1601 the parish became a designated institution required to raise the rates for, and to administer poor relief. Each parish was appointed an overseer of the poor who was able to ensure both the efficient collection of poor rates + the appropriate distribution of relief to the poor. It was the fired ever nationalised stem of poor relief in England.

Question 5

State the chronology of relief for the poor 1572-1601

Answer 5

• 1572 initial poor act
• 1576 Poor Law Act
• 1597 + 1598 (The Act for the relief of the poor + The punishment of rogues)
• 1601 Poor Law Act

Question 6

Overall does Elizabethan government aid the poor?

Answer 6

Thus the Elizabethan government took it upon itself to hold responsibility for ensuring a minimum level of subsistence for the deserving poor + this was a legislative achievement that remained substantially until 1834.