tudor attitudes and actions on poverty Flashcards
1531 poor law
impotent poor: to be given a license to beg from a jp
able bodied: vagrants and beggars to be whipped and returned to their parish
shows the different attitudes towards the 2 types of poor. punishment for able bodied and help for impotent however they should also be controlled by authorities.
1547 vagrancy act
impotent: sent back to parish to be looked after in houses for the disabled and requirement for these houses to be funded by donations to the church
able bodied: if a vagrant was found unemployed and without a master for 3 consecutive days they were to be branded with a v and sold into slavery for 2 years, on the second offence they were to be branded with a s and sold into slavery for life, third offence was execution
shows harsh punishments for repeated vagrancy. harshness reflects the changing social conditions as poverty was getting worse and the authorities were worried about the effect of this on social order. this act was repealed in 1550. repeated idea of help for impotent but control and heavier emphasis on local community funding the help.
1547-52 poor relief in london
impotent: london was the first place to introduce compulsory poor relief as it had the largest population (60,000 to 200,00 from 1500-1600). edward donated a number of properties to be hospitals for the poor and sick.
able bodied: edward donated a property to be used as a house of correction
requirements in london shows the different situation london was in and the greater pressures there due to its rapidly increasing population and extremes of poverty.
1552 poor law
impotent: beggars to be registered with the local authorities. called on parish priests and bishops to put more pressure on people in parishes to contribute to poor relief
shows continuing idea that impotent poor need help but also to be controlled and shows the growing idea that people should give but also on the state to organise.
1563 act for the relief of the poor
impotent: introduced a system for almost compulsory payments to be made for poor relief. introduced special poor relief collectors for each parish and were required to demand contributions on a weekly basis. people who consistently refused were to be imprisoned but unlike london it wasn’t specified how much people were expected to contribute.
shows a growing emphasis of charitable donations from the wealthy and increasing organisation from authorities.
1563 statute of artificers
able bodied: required all males (12-60 and below gentry class) to look for work or if work weren’t allowed to leave their employment without permission from their master.
at harvest time, unmarried men under 30 were forced to work for any employer who required them however employer was to train that person in a particular craft.
shows the continuing need to control the able bodied but also increasing recognition by the authorities that people need to be put to work and they have to provide work. still in context of forcing them to work.
1572 poor law
impotent: license to beg now has to be signed by 2 jps (more difficult to obtain)
able bodied: harsher punishments (under 14s whipped, if older had hole bored into ear)
shows the desire to control the impotent poor but also the increasing emphasis that it is the authorities duty to organise and supervise that control.
punishments still harsh for the able bodied.
1576 poor law
able bodied: required to have at least one house of correction in each county and should be supplied with materials for productive work
shows there’s still the attitude that the able bodied needed to be forced to work however houses of correction could show the beginnings of the recognition by authorities that they had to provide work and perhaps there wasn’t enough work available in the economy.
