The problem of the poor Flashcards
Who were itinerants?
People who moved out their home parishes and went to look for work
What survey took place and why?
Survey of the poor in Norwich 1570 Mayor wanted to know: how many itinerants were renting rooms how long they have been living there where they originally came from
What was concluded from the survey?
40% of under 16 years old were poor
families headed by women (widows)were poor as women couldn’t work and if they did they were paid less
families with a male adult was also poor that 80% of their income came from buying enough food to not starve
Why did poverty increase?
During Elizabeth 1 reign population grew by 35%
Because of the population increasing;
- cities needed food which they didn’t grow themselves
-food was grown in the country side and bought to urban cities for sales
-they were more people to feed price of food rose in town
Why were prices increasing?
When harvest was bad they wasn’t enough food to go around so prices rose
books were even published to help harvesting but that didn’t work
How did wages affect poverty?
Poverty increased because wages did not rise as fast as prices
more people wanted work so labour was cheap
landowners and employers cut wages to keep their cost down
How did land affect rising prices?
landowners could charge much higher rents for land where people lived and farmed
when you took land you had to pay an entry fee those also went up
What was the easiest way to earn money?
Sheep farming
wool accounted for 81.6% of England’s trade
it became profitable but it was only for a large scale business
What problem did sheep farming cause?
took land that had once been used to grown crops
did not require much labour-not many people had jobs
in winter some crops were grown only for animals to eat this angered the poor
What was enclosure?
Replacing large open lands that were farmed by villagers with individual field belonging to one person
What did enclosure lead to?
small farm being emerged to one and tenet farmer evicted
unemployment
rural depopulation
caused great anger and resentment
Why did farmers enclose the lands?
enclosed fields meant livestock could not trample on other crops
some farmers did animal breeding so you needed enclosed field so they didn’t wander off
What was arable and animal farming?
nickname was called up and down husbandry
land would be used for crops for one year and livestock the next
livestock would fertilise the field so that when crops were planted the following year the soil produced more
How big was the problem of enclosure?
a pamphlet written by Sir Thomas Smith was written in 1560 blamed gentry and yeomen for preferring sheep to crop because of better prices of wool
led to hospitality towards those who owned sheep farms
growing food for people should take priority
What effect did the pamphlet have?
end of 16 century 2-3% of land was enclosed
that still had a big impact on rising food prices and an increasing number of vagabonds
Who were vagabonds?
homeless people without jobs who roamed the countryside begging for money
Why was there an increase of vagabondage?
No place for them in the hierarchy
they often lived outside of the law to so Elizabethan society felt threatened as they threatened the law and order
What financial help did the poor get?
Poor relief which was paid by a special local tax the poor rate
individual charity
Who were the impotent?
Unable to work because of age or illness
Who were the able bodied?
Those who were fit to work but chose not to
Why were the able bodies noticed?
poor and unemployed were viable in town
they lived in rural areas
What was the Statue of Artificers?
1563
AIM:ensure poor relief was collected
FEAYURES: anyone who refused to pay poor rates could be imprisoned
Official who failed to set this up had to be fined of £20
What was the vagabonds act in 1572?
AIMS:deter vagrancy
FEATURES: vagrants were to be wiped and a hole drilled through each ear
had to be imprisonment if arrested twice and for the third time death penalty
What did the vagabonds act also state?
Established national poor rate for the first time(sheltered impotent poor)
Jps were to keep a register of the poor
towns/cities were given the responsibility to find work for the able bodied poor
What was the aim of the poor relief act in 1576?
to distinguish the able bodied and impotent poor and find work for the able bodied poor
What were the features in the poor relief act?
Jps provide wool and raw material to the able bodied to make things to sell
who ever refused where sent to prison which was funded by poor rates AKA house of correction
Why did poverty still carry on after the laws?
the conflict with Spain and the revolt in the Netherlands had hit trade in England badly.
What was the impact of the poor relief act?
it helped unemployment keep some independence and dignity and often enabled them to stay in their home towns.
