The poor

• The life of those in poverty

  • As long as they kept on the right side of their lord, they could provide for themselves and their families
  • For those without this security, however, life was much harder
  • Those without work were known as paupers, who relied on charity
  • This meant either begging or going to the local church for help
• What lead to poverty?


  • Henry VII wanted to limit the threat of uprising among his nobles, so he limited their right to have their own retinues (private armies), which left many soldiers without work
  • One of the most significant changes of the Tudor era was the Reformation during Henry VIII's reign
  • Between 1536 and 1540, Henry closed all of the monasteries in England, and many people who had worked for the Church were evicted
  • Before the reformation, monks and nuns had played a vital role in looking after the sick and the poorest in society, giving them charity and caring for them
• Economic problems

  • As Henry VIII's reign went on, economic problems increased and the cost of war was great
  • In order to save money, from 1542 he began to debase coins; this means that he mixed in less valuable metals with the gold and silver, allowing coins to be produced much more cheaply
  • This damaged trade and jobs, and the cloth trade collapsed completely during his son Edward VI's reign
  • Elizabeth inherited a country that was in an economic mess; unemployment and poverty were high, and as Elizabeth's reign began, things became even worse
• Failures in agriculture

  • England was hit by bad harvests between 1594 and 1598, which led to food shortages, and some people died of starvation
  • A new system of farming was developing
  • More and more landowners began to keep sheep on their land rather than renting it out to farmers who had traditionally grown crops on it
  • This system, known as land enclosure, meant fewer workers were needed and left many people jobless and homeless
  • A significant number headed to the towns and citites to try to find work, but there were not enough jobs to go around
• The population and prices go up

  • During Elizabeth's reign, the population of England grew from 2.8 million to 4 million which was the result of both an increased birth rate and a falling death rate
  • Limited places to live gave power to landlords who unfairly increased rents, known as rack renting
  • As a result of the bad harvests, there was less food, which led to price inflation
  • A terrible outbreak of flu in 1556 had killed around 200,000, including many of the workers who were involved in producing food
• The approach to the poor before Elizabeth

  • Before Elizabeth, attitudes to the poor were largely unsympathetic
  • It was widely accepted that some people were poor because of their circumstances eg. injury or ill health, which meant that they could not work, so it was right that charities should help them
  • However, where this was not the case, many wealthy people in power claimed they could easily find work if they wanted to
• Attitudes of the rich towards the poor

  • The belief in the Great Chain of Being meant that many believed that the wealthy were simply better than the peasants
  • However, just as God looked after his people and the queen looked after her subjects, the wealthy were expected to offer some help to those below them, eg. charitable donations
• Change in approach towards the poor during Elizabeth's reign

  • As unemployment and poverty grew under Elizabeth, people began to recognise that many paupers, particularly in urban areas, could not find work
  • They wanted to improve their situation, but were not able to - these people were seen as the deserving poor
  • This change in attitude led to many wealthier people working hard to provide more help and charity to those in need
  • Archbishop Whitgift established almshouses in Croydon in south London
  • Almshouses were buildings that provided accommodation and food for those in need
• The undeserving poor

  • While more people began to recognise the idea of the deserving poor, there was another group that was seen as undeserving
  • These were untrustworthy beggars who tricked people into giving them money
  • Many wealthy people began to question the honesty of all beggars they encountered
• What was a counterfeit crank?

  • A beggar who would trick people into believing they were unwell with a condition called the 'falling sickness'
  • They would mimic the symptoms by biting on soap so that it looked like they were frothing at the mouth, and then they would pretend to have a seizure
  • There was no known cure at the time, so many people had sympathy for those with this condition and would offer them money
• What was a baretop trickster?

  • A female beggar who would take off some of her clothes to trick a man into going into a house with her
  • Once inside, there would be a gang of thieves waiting to rob him
• What was a clapper dudgeon?

  • A beggar who would cut their skin to make it bleed and tie dirty bandages around the wounds
  • People would feel sympathy for them and give them money
• What was a Tom O'Bedlam?

  • A beggar who would pretend to have a mental illness and follow people around
  • They would behave in an unusual way, which might include carrying a stick with a piece of meat attached to the end or spending hours barking like a dog
  • People would offer them money perhaps out of sympathy, or so that they would go away
• The idle poor

  • Thomas Harman published a book that drew attention to some of the scams and tricks used by beggars in 1567
  • His book was based on the idea of beggars being criminals, and caused people to believe they were everywhere
  • Many claimed that beggars were idle, lazy and unable to change their ways
  • As a result, begging was usually dealt with by threatening severe punishment
• The poor laws before Elizabeth's reign

  • Henry VIII and Edward VI passed laws to try to deal with poverty, but not only did the problem remain, it actually grew more serious as time went on
  • (1531) Beggars were publicly whipped. If they were caught a second time, they would have a hole burned in their ear, and a third offence would mean they were hanged - this law remained in place for most of Elizabeth's reign
  • (1576) Act of setting the poor on work - placed the responsibility for finding work for the poor in the hands of the local authorities
• How did London deal with poverty?

  • Bridwell Palace was used as a shelter for the homeless
  • Bedlam hospital was established for the mentally ill, and other hospitals were opened for orphans and the sick
  • However, conditions in these institutions were harsh, and the problem of poverty in the city continued to grow
• How did York deal with poverty before Elizabeth's reign?

  • In the early Tudor period, York had become very prosperous, and large numbers of poor people from the countryside moved into the city to try to find work
  • As a result, the city saw an increase in the number of beggars
  • In 1515, the York Corporation had begun issuing beggar licences, 16 years before other cities
  • Licenced beggars were required to wear a badge so that they could be identified
  • From 1528, a Master Beggar was appointed, whose job it was to keep a check on the rest
• How did York deal with poverty during Elizabeth's reign?

  • During Elizabeth's reign, many beggars were expected to work; weaving and spinning in particular helped increase the city's growing industry
  • Those who refused were sent to the House of Correction (a type of prison for those who refused to work) or were returned to the town or village that they had come from
• How did Ipswich deal with poverty?

  • In 1569, Ipswich introduced a licensing system for beggars and increased support for the poor
  • It also became one of the first towns to open a hospital specifically to help the old and sick who could not afford treatment
  • A youth training scheme was introduced, designed to help children learn a trade that would lift them out of poverty
  • The town was also one of the first to build a House of Correction
• How did Norwich deal with poverty?

  • In 1570, the authorities in Norwich conducted a survey which found that 80 percent of the population lived in poverty
  • They separated the poor into two categories: 'idle poor' and 'unfortunate poor'
  • The 'idle poor' were given work such as knitting or sewing, while the 'unfortunate poor' were given food and other forms of care and support
  • This system was effective in limiting the numbers who received poor relief, as the poor had to be officially identified
  • Norwich taxed its rich citizens to pay for the care of the vulnerable
• The types of poor in Elizabethan England

  • The helpless poor - The sick and the old were provided with food to live on and placed in special homes where they could be cared for
  • The able-bodied poor - Those who were considered fit, including children, were expected to work. They were given food and drink as payment and, in some cases, somewhere to sleep
  • The idle poor - Those who were seen as lazy were whipped and then sent to a House of Correction where they would be forced to work. Those who went beyond begging into a life of crime might be dealt with even more harshly
• The poor laws

  • In 1601, Elizabeth and her government introduced the first ever poor law
  • The law said that in each area of the country, the wealthy should be taxed to pay for the care and support of the vulnerable
  • The fit and healthy poor were to be given work
  • This reflected the change in attitude that had taken place during this period
  • These kinds of taxes had existed before but never on this scale
  • However, those who were deemed able to work, but who did not, were still dealt with harshly
  • They were whipped and then placed in a House of Correction
• Why were the poor laws made?

  • The success of places like York, Ipswich and Norwich helped to convince Elizabeth and her government that a new approach was needed nationwide
  • Simply punishing the poor did not work
  • The 1531 laws did attempt to recognise the difference between the genuinely poor and those who were vagrants, but they remained focused on punishing the majority
  • Various attempts were made by individual MPs to introduce new Poor Laws, but it was not until the end of Elizabeth's reign that things really began to change
• Were the poor laws effective?

  • The aim of the 1601 poor law was to hep those who were genuinely poor, but it still maintained the clear threat of punishment for those who were considered lazy
  • Initially, the Poor Law seemed to work but it was inconsistently used and many areas did not fulfil the requirements
  • Over the following few years, instances of begging did seem to decrease but this may have been as much due to the threat of the House of the Correction as the increased help available
• How were the poor laws unsuccessful?

  • As it made each area responsible for its own poor, there were arguments over which area paupers belonged to
  • Without a clear home, some paupers were simply sent from one area to another
  • Despite criticism, the Elizabethan Poor Law remained in effect until it was reformed in the nineteenth century