The impact of economic and social developments, 1558-63

When Elizabeth I came to the throne, what did the English Economy look like?

difficult time for English economy

• bad harvests

• high death (morality) rates from plague

• high taxation

• significant cut in real wages

• fear of social instability

What had the high level of morality in England lead to during Elizabeth I’s early reign?

reduced number of labourers & increased bargaining power of survivors

How was Elizabeth I’s central government ineffective?

government lacked power of enforcement - was ways of investigating wage rates and it was difficult for JPs to manage this int heir own counties

• Elizabeth had no choice but to give the Justice of the Peace and offer Royal proclamations

What Local initiative were taken by the council of the North?

tried to enforce a schedule of wage rates - applied in 1514 & 113 labourers were charged with unlawfully large wages

• Northamptonshire, Buckinghamshire and Worcestershire - tried to establish appropriate wages at various rates for various trades

Why had the problem of poverty and Vagabonds remained widespread?

increased population - real wages for people under Elizabeth were lower than they had been a century earlier

• harvest failures creating food shortages (1555 & 1556)

• despite offering private benefactors continuing, it was no longer enough

Why was Cecil particularly concerned by the homeless and unemployed?

worried they could be a threat to law and order - security of the realm

What two categories did the poor get put into?

‘deserving poor’ and ‘ undeserving poor’

Who often supported the ‘deserving poor’?

the Church had always been the main provider for the poor, but after the Reformation this helpline had been destroyed

• monasteries - charity, health care, education

When had Parliament, since the reformation, attempt to help the poor?

1552 & 1555

• after reformation government had pressure to support the poor - attempted by Mary (unsuccessfully)

• areas such as Norwich and Ipswich - national intervention was behind

What did Elizabeth successfully achieve, which Northumberland and Mary could not achieve?

re-stabilisation of currency

How did Elizabeth I successfully improve the currency?

withdrew all debased coins and replaced them by minted ones

• ensured that only good quality coins were in circulation

• government did not have to return to debasement once

• prices of good did rise, but not down to government mishandling - success!

Which two important economic legislation acts were passed in 1563?

• Statue of Artifices

• Act of the Maintenance of the Navy

When was the Statue of Artificers passed?

1563

What was the Statue of Artificers?

attempt to regulate both industry and agriculture - forced maximum wage rate

• standard assessed by JPs and kept in line with prices

• unemployed people obliged to work, employers had to provide training and contract

• minimum period of one year for hire - employee could not leave without dismissal

Was the Statue of Artificers successful?

No - act failed to live to its expectations as it did not consider the number of unemployment caused by inflation

• instead of fixing maximum wage, held wages down when number of people looking for work rose

• contributed to growth of poverty

When was the Act of the Maintenance of the Navy passed?

1563

What was the Act of the Maintenance of the Navy?

clause which raised the price limit on the amount of grain that could be exported

• series of good harvests enabled the government to concentrate on expanding food supply