changing attitudes towards poor

• able bodied poor

  those who were fit to work but didn't
• deserving/impotent poor

  those unable to work because of age or illness
• there was changing attitudes towards the poor because:

  • fear that poverty led to disorder and rebellion
  • cost of dealing withpoor
  • population changes and enclosure led to visible presence of poor in cities
  • problems with cool trade and bad harvests forced change in attitude
• the problem of able bodied poor was more noticeable as:

  • poor and unemployed were visible in towns
  • many people lost livelihoods in rural areas came to towns to search for work
• policies towards the poor were:

  • poor rate
  • charity
  • Statue of Artificers 1563
  • Poor Relief Act 1576
  • Vagabonds Act 1572
• poor rate:

  • existed before Elizabeth's reign
  • local tax organised by Justices of Peace
  • money spent on improving poor
• charity:

  • funded by local wealthy people
  • helping less fortunate was Christian duty
• Statue of Artificers:

  • was in 1563
  • aim was to ensure poor relief was collected
  • response to increased unemployment caused by poor wool trade
  • those refusing to pay poor rates could be imprisoned
  • officials failing to organise poor relief could be fined up to £20
• Vagabonds Act:

  • was in 1572
  • aim was to deter vagrancy and provide poor with work
  • Parliament felt vagrants were threat to public order
  • vagrants were to be whipped and hole drilled through each ear
  • imprisoned if arrested again for vagrancy
  • given death penalty for third offence
  • introduced national poor rate - money and work for impotent poor
  • JPs keep register of poor
  • authorities in towns had to find work for able bodied poor
• Poor Relief Act:

  • was in 1576
  • aim was to distinguish impotent and able bodied poor and find able bodied poor work
  • JPs provided able bodied poor with wool and raw materials to work by selling things
  • those who refused work were sent to special prison funded by poor rates known as house of correction
• impact of poor laws:

  • poverty continued to be major problem
  • conflict with Spain and Netherlands caused bad trade in England
  • providing poor with work by giving them things to sell became law in England
  • gave unemployed independence