Socio economic issues under Somerset

socio economic issues under somerset and what he did to help or make the problem worse. In detail of the enclosure issue

What were the 6 main socio economic issues under Somerset

Population Rise

inflation and rising prices

Enclosure

Decline in living standards

Poor Harvests

Poverty and vagrancy

Details of the issue of Population rise

1552-1557 population rose from 2.3M to 3.0M

Because of population rise price of grain increased

there were more dependants - young children

Details of the issue of inflation and rising prices

1530 a 69% increase in prices from 1508

Debasement of coinage was still continuing

What did Somerset do about the issue of inflation and rising prices

Nothing, wanted to avoid ending debasement because he needed money for wars against Scotland and France

Details of the issue of enclosure

fencing around common land by lords because they wanted to use the land for their sheep

Peasants blamed enclosure for unemployment

What was Somersets stance on enclosure

He was influenced by the Commonwealth writers and was a keen supporter of anti-enclosure measures

Who were the commonwealth writers

a group of churchmen and intellectuals who wrote about their belief that the wealthy had a responsibility to help the poor and that everyone should work for the common good.

What did Somerset do to tackle the issue of Enclosure

Set up an Enclosure Commision in 1558 to investigate the issue in the Midlands

Who led the enclosure commission, what was he like

MP John Hales - very confrontational - didnt help against wealthy landlords

What did Hales manage to achieve

Not a lot - he failed to bring any any cases against enclosure and the landlords in parliament blocked legislations against enclosure

What did Somerset have to do as a result of the failure of the first enclosure commission

issued proclamations in 1548 enforcing all statues against enclosure for grazing

When was the second enclosure committee appointed

1549

What taxes were implemented to tackle the enclosure issue in 1549

5% tax on personal property and a special tax on sheep were passed against stiff opposition

What was the public reation to Somersets actions to help enclosure

became very hopeful he would help them and even expected he would support them when they took down illegal enclosures - they quickly became disillusioned and angry when his promises came to nothing

Details of the issue of decline in living standards

increase in population led to spread of disease and inflation and poor harvests meant less food to go around

Details of the issue of poor harvest

England was in a ‘little ice age’ where weather was a few degrees colder and ruined harvests

this meant people were only doing subsistence level farming and enclosure made this worse

Dissolution of Monasteries also meant there was no aid for the poorest

Details of the issue of poverty and vagrancy

increasing town population and enclosure meant many were unemployed and had to resort to begging or crime

Depression in the overseas cloth industry meant further unemployment

Which act was passed in 1547 to tackle vagrancy

the Vagrancy Act

What was the Vagrancy Act

condemns vagrants to 2 years slavery for 1st offence and a 2nd offence meant life time slavery

how effectively was this policy implemented

Not very - didn’t end up being enforced