The Poor and Living Standards

Question 1

What was poverty defined as during Elizabeth’s reign?

Answer 1

• If you spent more than 80% of your income on bread
• If you were unemployed or too ill to work
• If you needed to claim poor relief

Question 2

Describe the effect of population growth during Elizabeth’s reign

Answer 2

• Food production didn’t keep pace with the growth in population, causing food prices to rise
• England also suffered poor harvests in the 1550s and 60s, leading to food shortages
• There was growing competition for land, so rents increased
• Prices for food and other goods rose faster than wages, so the standards of living fell
  for many workers, as they struggled to afford basic necessities, and many were forced
  into poverty
• Employers could offer lower wages as many people would be applying for the same job
  (High demand)
• 1563 Statute of Artificers - prevented wages from matching inflation
• Housing shortages led to higher rents

Question 3

Describe the Statute of Artificers

Answer 3

A government law that set a maximum daily wage for skilled workers (butchers, carpenters etc). This made things even more difficult for workers, as it prevented wages from rising to match prices increasing

However it also punished those refusing to pay poor rates (max punishment of jailtime). It also fined officials who didn’t organise a poor tax with a fine of 20 poond

(Passed in 1563)

Question 4

How much did the English population grow from 1541 to 1600?

Answer 4

From 2.4 million to 4.1 million

Question 5

Describe how Henry VII affected Elizabeth’s economic problems and poverty

Answer 5

Henry VII debased the coinage, issuing coins that weren’t pure gold and silver, but instead mixed with impurities. Businessmen believed that they were worth less , so they increased their prices

Henry VII also restricted the use of private armies, so many soldiers were without work

Question 6

Describe how the dissolution of the monasteries affected the poor during Elizabeth’s reign

Answer 6

Monasteries performed important social functions, such as providing support for many poor, ill and disabled people. This removed a valuable source of assistance for people in time of need

Also left nuns and monks without jobs (and a way of life)

Question 7

Describe the 3 categories that poor people were grouped into during Elizabeth’s reign

Answer 7

The Helpless Poor - Those unable to support themselves, e.g. orphans, the elderly, the
sick or disabled

The Deserving Poor - Those who wanted to work, but weren’t able to find a job in their
town/village

The Undeserving Poor - Beggars, Criminals and those who refused to work. Also migrant workers (Vagabonds) who left their homes and travelled around looking for work

Question 8

What was a “Vagabond”?

Answer 8

A migrant worker who left their home and travelled, looking for work. They often turned to crime

Question 9

Why did more people begin to become more involved in poor relief?

Answer 9

They feared that rising poverty levels were a serious threat to law and order. As poverty levels rose, crime also increased, The government feared that the poor might rise up in rebellion if the problem of poverty wasn’t tackled,(peasants revolt1381)

People began to realise that society as a whole would have to take responsibility for helping the poor, and so the government began to take action to tackle the problem of poverty

Question 10

Describe the 1563 Poor Law

Answer 10

It gave magistrates the power to raise local funds for poor relief, and introduced fines for people who refused to pay. However each person was still free to decide how much they could contribute

Underserving Poor could also be publicly whipped

Question 11

Why were the Undeserving Poor treated so harshly?

Answer 11

As they were seen as a serious threat to society. Many people believed that poor criminals and vagabonds had encouraged the Revolt of the Northern Earls. The harsher punishments introduced in 1572 were most likely a result of this.

Question 12

Describe the 1572 Poor Law

Answer 12

Local officials (Justices of the Peace) were made responsible for poverty issues in their Parish, and could decide how much tax people should pay in order to help the poor and unemployed

The undeserving poor could now have a hole bored through their right ear as punishment. Repeat offenders could be imprisoned or face execution

Question 13

Describe the 1576 Poor Law

Answer 13

Justices of Peace were required to provide the poor with materials e.g. wool or leather to make things that they could sell and support themselves

This Poor Law said that paupers could be sent to prison (House of correction) if they refused to take work

• this was progressive as it was a response to the fall in the wool trade and aimed to provide the poor with the means of making an income

Question 14

What was the traditional source of support for paupers during this time?

Answer 14

Charity, rich people made donations to hospitals, monasteries and other organisations that helped the poor, however the problem of poverty became so bad that Charitable donations were no longer enough

Question 15

Describe how developments in agriculture left many people unemployed

Answer 15

Traditional farming methods involved farmers renting strips of land in large open fields,
and growing enough crops to supply himself and his family - Subsistence level farming.

• In the 16th century landlords changed their farming techniques to try and make more
  money from their land. Instead of sharing fields among many farmers, they enclosed
  these fields to create a few large farms
• These new, larger farms required fewer labourers, so many farmers were evicted,
  leaving them unemployed and homeless

Question 16

Describe how the decline in Woollen cloth exports led to food shortages and poverty

Answer 16

• Exporting wool to Europe was more profitable than selling grain
• Many landowners stopped growing grain and began sheep farming
• Fall in grain production contributed to rising food prices
• Sheep farming required less labourers so many farmers were left unemployed and
  become vagrants (Migrate for work)

Question 17

How did bad harvests contribute to poverty

Answer 17

Bad harvests in 1594 and 1598 increased prices, which led to inflation.
Keeping livestock became more popular than growing crops, and farming sheep required less workers as it was less labour intensive, so more people lost their jobs. the increase of sheep farming also led to an increase in the enclosure of land, less land was available to common people

More people and less food meant food prices increased rapidly.

Question 18

Describe the 1601 Poor Law

Answer 18

• They brought in a compulsory nationwide Poor Rate system
  everyone had to contribute and those who refused would go to jail
• Begging was banned and anyone caught was whipped and sent back to their place of
  birth
• Almshouses were established to look after the impotent (Helpless) poor

Question 19

What was the Poor Rate system?

Answer 19

A local tax levied by a local parish to finance the relief or support of the poor

Question 20

What was an Almshouse?

Answer 20

A house for the poor to stay in paid for by charity

Question 21

What percent did children under 16 make of the entire poor population during this time?

Answer 21

over 40%, many of which were orphans

Question 22

Why were many widows poor during this time?

Answer 22

When their husbands died, they were unable to work and earn enough money to support themselves due to inequality in work between men and women

Question 23

What is the difference between a vagrant and a vagabond?

Answer 23

A vagrant is a person with no settled home or unemployment, and therefore forced to beg.

A vagabond is a vagrant who has turned to crime

Question 24

How did economic recessions contribute to poverty?

Answer 24

These occurred as people were not buying as many goods due to trade disputes with Spain and the Netherlands. These led to merchants and traders not having enough money, and therefore having to fire their workers, increasing the number of unemployed

Question 25

Describe the Poor Relief system, and its shortcomings

Answer 25

Poor relief was a payment given to the poor, raised by the Poor Rate (tax collected by JPs)

However lots of people avoided the tax, and in some cases the JPs didn’t make an effort to collect it

Question 26

What was a House of Correction?

Answer 26

A special prison where paupers were sent to do hard labour in an effort to correct their behaviour

Question 27

Describe a book abt Vagabonds

Answer 27

“Warning against Vagabonds” was written by Thomas Harmen in 1567, and perpetuated the idea that vagabonds were tricksters. The book included stereotypes such as ‘Tom O’Bedlem’, a beggar who pretended to be mad. And Clapper Dudgeon, who would hurt himself and use bandages to incite sympathy from passer bys.

Question 28

Name 3 years in which there were terrible harvests

Answer 28

1556
1562
1596

Question 29

Describe the 1572 Vagabonds Act

Answer 29

• Anyone found guilty of vagabondage was to be whipped and burned through the right
  ear
• Repeat offenders were executed
• Children of beggars were placed in domestic services
• Local Justices of the Peace had to raise money (Poor Rate) and find work for the able bodied poor
• partly progressive as it centralised the system and focused on providing support for the incompetent poor
• but regressive as it was a reaction to fears about crime caused by vagrants and focused on punishing them

Question 30

How did diet contribute to poverty rates?

Answer 30

The poor ate coarse dark bread, with a little meat, notably at Christmas. Game poaching supplemented the diet of the rural poor. Everyone drank ale or cider as water was often too impure to drink. Fruits and vegetables were seldom eat. The potato had yet to
become part of the diet

• Overall the diets of the poor lacked nutrition, significantly vitamin C, due to a lack of
  fruit and vegetables. This often led to scurvy. Scurvy + effects of poor diet can cause
  exhaustion and other physical problems, making someone less able to work

Question 31

How did gold and silver standards drop due to King Henry VII’s actions?

Answer 31

Gold standards dropped from the previous standard of 23 karat to as low as 20 karat

Silver was reduced from 92.5% sterling silver to just 25%

Question 32

When was the Great Debasement policy introduced by King Henry?

Answer 32

1544 to 1551

Question 33

What percent of the population lived in the countryside during Elizabeth’s reign?

Answer 33

85%, where the main population was farming

changes in agriculture heavily affected them

Question 34

What did Elizabethan people believe about the poor and disease?

Answer 34

Most people believed that vagabonds carried and spread disease, as there were a large number of plague outbreaks in the 16th century (1563 and 1593)

Question 35

Spanish Price Revolution and effects (Shorten/finetune later)

Answer 35

From an economic viewpoint the discovery of new silver and gold deposits as well as the productivity increase in the silver mining industry perpetuated the price revolution. When precious metals entered Spain, this influx drove up the Spanish price level and caused a balance of payments deficit. This deficit occurred on account of Spanish demand for foreign products exceeding exports to foreign markets.[6] The deficit was financed by the metals that entered these foreign countries and in turn increased their money supply and drove up their price levels.[6]

The increased importation of specie to Spain started in Central Europe around the beginning of the sixteenth century. According to Michael North (1994) central European silver output doubled between 1470 and 1520, and increased even more in the 1520s with the new mine of Joachimsthal.[7] Also during this time the Spanish and Portuguese brought a large amount of gold from the New World to Europe. Starting in the 1540s a growing amount of silver was shipped to Europe from mines in Mexico and the Potosi mountain in Peru.[7] The production of the Potosi mine increased greatly in the 1560s after mercury deposits had been discovered in the Andes, as mercury was necessary to process the silver.[7] Based on the records of Earl J. Hamilton (1934), the total imports of specie from the Americas during the 16th century amounted to around 210 million pesos, with 160 million of these pesos being imported in the second half of the 16th century.[8] The total amount of silver imported added up to about 3,915 metric tons of silver.[8] However these numbers underestimate the total amount imported to Spain because Hamilton only counted imports recorded by the official Casa de Contratacion in Seville, not including the specie shipped directly to Cadiz by the Dutch and British East India Companies.[9] The influx of these precious metals and the resulting money supply shocks help explain the price increase in Spain during the 16th century.[cit

Question 36

Describe some of the stereotypes in the “Warning against vagabonds” book

Answer 36

• ‘Tom O’Bedlem’, a beggar who pretended to be mad
• Clapper Dudgeon, who would hurt himself and use bandages to incite sympathy from
  passer bys.
• Counterfeit Crank, pretended to have a fit by swallowing soap and foaming at the
  mouth

Question 37

English wool and cloth was in high demand abroad. What percentage of England’s exports did it account for in this time?

Answer 37

80%

Question 38

What percent of the population owned more than half of all the wealth in England?

Answer 38

2%

Question 39

What was the reason for the growing gentry during this time?

Answer 39

There were more opportunities to make money through trade

Question 40

when was poor rate introduced

Answer 40

1558 - a tax to pay poor relief which was help given to the poor to help them survive
- many people ignored it, and in some cases, some justices of peace made no effort to collect the tax, so some areas had no poor relief at all