History- KT3 Elizabethan society in the age of exploration

• Which sports were played by more higher class members of society?

  Hunting (used for food and entertainment purposes)

  Training falcons (very expensive only the rich could afford)

  Fencing (practised from a young age)

  Tennis and bowls were becoming popular (equipment was expensive)

  Archery
• Which sports were played by more lower class people?

  Football was popular however at this time it had few rules (they could pick up the ball and run with it) and was often dangerous and caused long and violent fights (it wasnt uncommon for people to be killed during a game)

  Cock-fighting (cocks fighting with metal spurs on there heads) and bear-baiting were popular. Richer people gambled on games like this. Wrestling was also popular and often played in public.
• How was the theatre different for upper and lower class people?

  Lower class: Considered groundlings, stood at the stage where it was busy, noisy and wet.

  Upper class: Sat in covered galleries (these covered the walls so they wouldn’t be exposed to bad weather)

  Elizabeth loved to watch plays.
• What were the 3 main reasons poverty was such a big issue?

  1 Population growth- this lead to rising prices, and wages were not raised at the same time. Rents also increased.

  2 Enclosed farms- this lead to unemployment as less labourers were needed, homelessness and migration because people thought others were vagabonds.

  3 Exporting wool- Grain production was not as common because people thought that wool production created more money. This led to rising food prices and again unemployment.
• What is the difference between deserving and idle poor?

  Deserving poor- Elderly, children and disabled/ill

  Idle poor- Anyone who was able bodied but didn’t have a job/ unemployed
• Key facts about 1563 Statue of artifices 


  Aim was to ensure poor relief was collected.

  Refusal to pay led to imprisonment.

  Officials that failed to organise it could be fined up to £20
• Key facts about 1572 Vagabonds act 


  Aim to deter vagrancy

  Vagrants were to be whipped and a hole drilled through both ears.

  Established national poor rate for the first time.

  JPs were to keep register of the poor

  Towns and cities had to find work for able bodied poor
• Key facts about 1576 Poor relief act 


  Aim to help able bodied poor find work.

  JPs provided able bodied poor with wool/raw materials to enable work by making things to sell.

  Refusal to work meant you were sent to a house of correction.