poverty in Elizabethan England

  • 3mil to 4.2 mil from 1551 to 1601

  • More people = more land and food, expensive

  • Food prices began to rise, increase in sheep farming

  • Common land was fenced off- only available to wealthy people

  • Rent prices began to soar

  • Affected those on low wages, orphans, homeless, sick, elderly, widows

  • Vagrants/ vagabonds treated with suspicion- seen as dishonest or lazy, forced into crime, concerns Elizabethan gov

  • Elizabeths gov differentiated poor into the deserving poor- could be helped and the idle poor- needed to be punished

  • Vagabonds who threatened public safety treated harshly- imprisoned, hung

  • Poor rate- organised by justices of the peace- improve lives of poor, funded charities to help poor

  • Poor relief act 1576 gave poor raw materials to sell or make items, towns had responsibility for finding work for able bodied

    • Refusing help- sent to house of correction

  • Vagabonds act 1572- punishments for those found guilty of being vagabond, whipped and burnt, 2nd offence imprisonment

  • Justices of peace- keep register and collect national poor rate- used to provide shelter and food for sick and elderly

Between 1551 and 1601, the population rose from 3 million to 4.2 million, leading to increased food prices and a shift towards sheep farming. Common land was fenced off, largely benefiting the wealthy, causing rent prices to soar and adversely affecting low-wage individuals, orphans, the homeless, the sick, the elderly, and widows. Vagrants were viewed with suspicion, often associated with crime, prompting the Elizabethan government to classify the poor into two groups: the deserving poor, who could be helped, and the idle poor, who were to be punished. Vagabonds jeopardizing public safety faced severe penalties, including imprisonment or execution.

The Poor Rate, organized by justices of the peace, aimed to support the needy by funding charities. The Poor Relief Act of 1576 provided raw materials for the poor to earn a living, placing the burden of finding work for able-bodied individuals on towns. Those refusing assistance could be sent to houses of correction. The Vagabonds Act of 1572 instituted harsh punishments for vagabonds, including whippings and imprisonment for repeat offenders. Justices of the peace were responsible for maintaining a registry and collecting the national poor rate to provide food and shelter for the sick and elderly.