Government legislation including the 1601 Poor Law
Tudor governments did not really know what to do about the poor, because in many ways they did not understand the causes of poverty.
It was widely assumed that many were just lazy and refused to work. However, as Elizabeth鈥檚 reign progressed, attempts were made to distinguish between those who could not work and those who would not. Various measures were introduced to deal with both.
Several laws were therefore passed during the reign that to a certain extent accepted the government鈥檚 responsibility for looking after the deserving poor. However, they also tried to dissuade the undeserving poor by punishing A person who made a living through crime. and A wandering beggar who often turned to crime. Vagabonds were seen as a serious threat to the social order..
| Year and Act | Measures taken |
| 1563 Statute of Artificers | Boys were to serve a seven year apprenticeship. The aim was to create employment and keep potential beggars off the streets. |
| 1572 Vagabonds Act | Harsh penalties were used to deter vagrancy. The death penalty was reintroduced. Local people had to pay a poor rate. Overseers of the Poor were to help JPs administer poor relief. |
| 1576 Act for the Relief of the Poor | Houses of Correction were to be built in each county. Those refusing to work would be sent there. People refusing to pay the poor rate were to be punished. |
| 1598 Act for the Relief of the Poor | Four Overseers were to be appointed in each parish. All inhabitants had to pay a compulsory poor rate to support their poor. Work was to be found for able-bodied men and women. |
| 1598 Act for the Punishment of Rogues | The death penalty was abolished, but anyone found begging was to be whipped and returned to their own parish. If this was not known, they were sent to a House of Correction. |
| Year and Act | 1563 Statute of Artificers |
|---|---|
| Measures taken | Boys were to serve a seven year apprenticeship. The aim was to create employment and keep potential beggars off the streets. |
| Year and Act | 1572 Vagabonds Act |
|---|---|
| Measures taken | Harsh penalties were used to deter vagrancy. The death penalty was reintroduced. Local people had to pay a poor rate. Overseers of the Poor were to help JPs administer poor relief. |
| Year and Act | 1576 Act for the Relief of the Poor |
|---|---|
| Measures taken | Houses of Correction were to be built in each county. Those refusing to work would be sent there. People refusing to pay the poor rate were to be punished. |
| Year and Act | 1598 Act for the Relief of the Poor |
|---|---|
| Measures taken | Four Overseers were to be appointed in each parish. All inhabitants had to pay a compulsory poor rate to support their poor. Work was to be found for able-bodied men and women. |
| Year and Act | 1598 Act for the Punishment of Rogues |
|---|---|
| Measures taken | The death penalty was abolished, but anyone found begging was to be whipped and returned to their own parish. If this was not known, they were sent to a House of Correction. |
1601 Poor Law
In 1601, another act for the Relief of the Poor was passed. This became known as the Elizabethan Poor Law and remained in effect for over 200 years. It basically put all the previous Poor Laws together into one act, setting up a legal framework to tackle the problem of the poor.
It also encouraged the establishment of Housing provided by charities for people (usually the elderly) who can no longer provide for themselves.. These were places that were built and supported by private donations that were meant to look after the deserving poor.
Increase in the number of vagabonds
It seems that the gap between rich and poor widened during Elizabeth's reign. Elizabeth did not solve the problem of vagabonds and poverty as the number of vagabonds actually increased during the reign.
Sending vagabonds to Houses of Correction kept them off the streets but did not address the reason why they took to the streets in the first place. Similarly, sending them from one place to another merely passed the problem on from one town or village to another.
However, the realisation that some people simply could not support themselves was a step forward. The Poor Laws, passed during the reign, went some way in preventing people from taking to the roads. This mixture of laws, private charity and the efforts of town authorities, combined to contain the situation.
Bands of wandering beggars did not rise up in revolt against local communities and poor people were looked after, as far as possible, in their own towns and villages.