vagabondage

• Vagabondage

  • they were demobilised soldiers no longer needed in army, harsh criminals, pickpockets. majority were unemployed people
  • WHY:big problem of finding work in rising population. in 1500s Unemployment was forcing people to travel beyond local area and look for work. Big groups of vagabonds meant opportunities for crime. In 1570s following bad harvests, number of vagavonds increased, the late 1590s were even greater years of poverty with low wages.
• Treatment of vagabondages

  • society looked after them at a local level, some paid a poor rate to locally help. this system wasn't enough as the number of poor people increased. gov then introduced new laws at providing work &punish those who refused to work.
  • 1531: whipped and sent back home
  • 1574: first offence= 2 years of slavery, second= slavery for life/ execution
  • 1572: first offence= whipping, burning ear persistent: execution
  • 157: houses of correction built to punish persistent beggars
  • 1593: 572 act repealed as it was seen as too harsh, laws reverted back to 1531