The problem of the poor

• How did the Tudors split the poor two groups?

  1. The impotent poor -those who genuinely couldn’t work they were either too old or sick
  2. The able-bodied poor - those who could work but chose not to, instead they chose to beg
• What were the issues of vagrancy?


  • They were seen as idle, meaning they were too lazy to find work
  • they often turned to crime
  • They easily spread disease from town to town
  • The Tudors saw them as a added burden causing poor relief to rise
• What were the different ways the poor tried to attract attention?

  • Clapper dudgeon, rubbed poison onto their skin to make it bleed for added attention
  • Abraham man, pretended to be mad (crazy) in hopes of getting more sympathy
  • counterfeit crank, dressed in tatty clothes and ate soap to make it look like they were diseased
• What were the different ways the poor tried to steal?

  • Hooker or angler, knocked on houses during the day to see what valuables could be stolen at night they would return and use the hook to steal the valuables through a window
  • doxy, a woman that would carry a large bag filled with stolen goods, often she would feed chickens with bread tied onto hooks to try and catch them easily
  • Ruffler, former soldiers who would steal or make threats in order to make a living
• What were the poor laws?


  Laws that were introduced by Elizabeth to accept responsibility for the poor
• What were the poor laws that Elizabeth introduced?

  • Statue of Artificers, 1563
  • Vagabonds Act, 1572
  • Act for the Relief of the Poor, 1576
• Statue of Artificers, 1563

  • all boys must work as a apprentice in a trade for seven years,
  • anyone that failed to pay the poor relief would be imprisoned
  • officials who failed to organise the poor relief would be fined £20
• Vagabonds Act, 1572?

  • JoP had to keep a register of the poor in their parish
  • overseer of the poor were created
  • local people had to pay poor rate and provide shelter for the sick and poor
  • several punishments for vagabonds Included whipping, a hole through each ear, imprisoned and the death penalty
• Act for the Relief of the Poor, 1576

  • JoP had to build two houses of correction in each country to provide work for able-bodied poor
  • anyone that refused to work would be sent to the house of correction