vagrancy - Growth of poverty and the government's response in the localities

Question 1

how did Henry VII deal with Vagrancy in 1495?`

Answer 1

vagrants and idle poor in stocks for 3 days whipped and returned to their original parish.

Question 2

what was the poor law act put in place by Henry VIII?

Answer 2

1531 - vagrants where whipped and impotent poor licensed by JP’s and allowed to beg.

Question 3

what was the Vagrancy act 1547?

Answer 3

• if you were able to work, been unemployed for 3 days and or without a master = branded with a V on the chest and forced to work as a slave for 2 years - this was unenforceable.

Question 4

what was the 1552 poor law?

Answer 4

Mary - required the impotent poor to be registered for the first time. Also required the parish priest to pressure those reluctant to make voluntary contributions.

Question 5

what was the Statute of Artificers?

Answer 5

1563 - Elizabeth =

• all unmarried people under 30 had to accept any job, all those who could bring in crops had to do so and could be punished by stocks.
• all wages set by JP’s annually
• everyone aged 12-16 had to work
• fixed hours
• had to do an apprenticeship for 7 years
• assessed wages
• set working hours = summer : 5am - 8pm and Winter was Dawn - Dusk.

Question 6

what was the first act of relief of the poor and when was it?

Answer 6

1563 - payments to parish for poor relief was compulsory and refusal = imprisonment
- however you could choose how much you were willing to pay.

Question 7

what was the 1572 poor law act?

Answer 7

• it recognised that there wasn’t always jobs available
• punishment for vagrants was a hole through the right ear
• impotent poor had to be licensed by two of them
• parishes who had extra poor relief built houses for Vagrants/

Question 8

what was the 1598 Act of Relief of the poor?

Answer 8

• it was for ex-servicemen
• overseer of poor relief for each parish
• had to assess how much poor relief was needed
• provided pensions
• provided hospitals
• provided houses of correction.

Question 9

what was the significance of the Statute of Artificers?

Answer 9

1563 =

• replaced earlier legislation and lasted through out the period
• placed more importance on JP’s
• enhanced the unimportance of apprenticeships
• Protected status of skilled craftsmen
• emphasised the need for a master.

Question 10

what was the insignificance of the Statute of Artificers?

Answer 10

• still had to deal with vagrancy - laws were futile
• annual assessments of wages never changed e.g. Kent’s wage didn’t change once between 1563-1588 when inflation would of had an affect
• assumed there was work if you wanted it
• Spanish war disrupted cloth trade 1585

Question 11

what was the significance of the 1572 poor law act?

Answer 11

• increased expectation of parishes

Question 12

what was the significance of the 1598 Act of Relief of the poor?

Answer 12

• calculated how much was needed which meant more was given to provision
• enhanced admin
• provided pensions for ex-servicemen recognising their service
• revised by a second act 1601 which lasted until 1834.

Question 13

what was the significance of all the reforms by the end of the period?

Answer 13

• national system of relief
• contribution was compulsory
• reflected the panic of landed elite
• built on 50 years of experimentation