elizabethan england

• merchant


  someone who buys and sells goods in large amounts
• vagrant/vagabond 


  homeless who wondered from place to place looking for work or charity
• debasement of the coinage

  reduction in the value of coins caused by extracting some of the gold/silver contained in them
• dissolution


  when Henry VIII closed the monasteries
• enclosures


  replacing large open fields that were farmed by villagers with individual fields belonging to one person
• poverty increased due to

  • bad harvests
  • changes in farming
  • unemployment in industries
  • population growth
  • inflation
  • the closure of monasteries
• bad haverests 


  there were food shortages meaning food prices went up
• changes in farming 


  enclosures meant tenant farmers were evicted and farmers started farming sheep as needed less labourers so was cheaper however people lost jobs
• unemployment in industries 


  the cloth trade (the main trade in England) collapsed because of competition so tens of thousands of people lost jobs
• Population growth 


  the population grew by 35% so more jobs were needed but there were less available
• Inflation


  food prices increased more than wages did so people struggled to afford basic food
• the closure of monasteries 


  monasteries provided food and shelter for homeless and unemployed but Henry VIII closed them so there was less help for poor
• Why were Elizabethans worried about poverty?

  • believed vagrants set bad examples
  • vagrants were punished for being idle as it was a sin
  • there was an increase in poverty
  • rich people had a duty to help but were struggling due to the growing numbers of poor
  • society was very hierarchical and vagrants threatened social order as they might rebel
  • people feared vagrants brought disease
  • vagrants turned to crime
• Impotent/deserving Poor


  People who were unable to work due to age or illness
• Poor rate


  Financial support for the poor paid for by a local tax
• Justices of the Peace (JPS)


  • Organised the poor relief
• Able bodied/idle/Sturdy poor


  People who were fit to work but were not working
• House of Correction


  Special prisons funded by Poor rates that vagrants who refused work were sent to
• traditional treatment of the poor

  • impotent poor were helped by the poor rate
  • idle poor were whipped
• changes in treatments to the poor

  • a national poor rate was established
  • work was provided for the able bodied poor
  • sympathy was shown towards vagrants
• 1563 statute of Artificers - anyone who refused to pay poor rates would be imprisoned and officials failing to organise poor relief could be fined
• 1572 Vagabonds act- vagrants were whipped and a hole drilled through each ear and arrested, imprisoned and given the death penalty, towns had to provide work for able bodied poor and a poor rate was established
• 1576 poor relief act- JPs had to provide able bodied poor with wool and materials so they can work by making things and those who refused work were sent to a house of correction
• Nobility and Gentry girls had private tutors and went to noble households
• nobility and gentry boys had private tutors went to noble households, public schools, universities and inns of courts
• the middling sort girls went to dame schools
• the middling sort boys went to petty schools, grammar schools and universities
• poor boys and girls had no formal education but learnt from their families
• rich girls used fishing, hawking, hunting, animal fights, theatre, books, spinets and harpsichords as a source of entertainment
• poor girls watched animal fights, theatre, went hunting, played bagpipes and fiddles and went gambling for entertainment
• rich boys used tennis, hunting, hawking, fencing, fishing, animal fights, theatre, spinets, harpsichords, tobacco, archery and books as forms of entertainment
• poor boys used football, animal fights, theatre, bagpipes, fiddles, gambling, wrestling, running, archery, fishing and hunting as forms of entertainment
• catholics

  • pope was the head of the church
  • there are cardinals, bishops, archbishops and priests under the pope
  • priests wore special clothing
  • during mass a miracle occurs (the bread and wine become the body and blood)
  • there are seven sacraments
  • the bible and services are in latin
  • the church can forgive sins
  • priests are forbidden to marry
  • churches should be highly decorated
• protestants

  • there shouldn't be a pope
  • there is no need for cardinals, bishops or archbishops
  • ministers don't wear special clothing
  • the bread and wine represent the last supper (no miracle)
  • there are two sacraments
  • the bible and services are in local language
  • sins can only be forgiven by God
  • churches should be plain
  • ministers are allowed to marry
• reformation

  people believed the Roman Catholic church had become corrupt so they established the protestant church without the pope
• the reformation started in Germany in 1517 and quickly spread to England
• Henry VIII set up the Church of England in 1534 so that he was able to divorce his wife
• When Henry VIII set up the Church of England he decided to translate Bibles to English pleasing Protestants
• Henry VIII was succeeded by his son Edward VI in 1547 who made England a Protestant country
• Edward was succeeded by his eldest sister Mary in 1553 who reversed his changes making England Catholic again