Causes of Poverty

 

Population increase – 43% increase between 1550 and 1600.

• Huge pressure on resources, particularly food and jobs were more difficult to come by.

• Wages stayed the same as there were enough workers to fill the positions and therefore when the prices of food increased due to the increase in demand, it became harder to afford to buy food.

• Inflation like this was a problem all over Europe at the time.

 

Henry VIII had debased the coins in the 1540s – by mixing less valuable metals with the gold and silver.

• This meant that whilst coins were produced more cheaply, foreign traders had come to expect more coins for their goods.

• This damaged trade and jobs.

 

Exploration – because the Spanish were discovering more silver abroad in the ‘New World’ it lowered the value of the all the currencies across Europe.

 

Agricultural crisis – there were several disastrous harvests between 1594 and 1598.

• Food shortages and people dying of starvation

• New farming system developing – more and more landowners began to keep sheep on their land rather than rent it out – this was known as land enclosure as they enclosed the sheep with hedges.  It meant that farm labourers lost their jobs and removed the common land between the people.  This led to the landless poor having nowhere to graze their animals.

Rent racking – limited places to live for the growing population gave the landlords more power and they unfairly increased rents.

 

Closure of the monasteries – Before Henry VIII dissolved the monasteries in the 1530s they had been a key source of support for those living in poverty.

As a result, more poor people moved to towns looking for a better life. But the towns could not cope with the numbers

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Idle poor (Undeserving poor)

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Seen as a major threat to the social order.  People believed that there was enough work for everyone and that the idle poor were dishonest.

Considered an immoral and criminal class who were perfectly fit but too lazy to find work.

1567 – Thomas Harman published a book to draw attention to some of the scams and tricks used by these conmen and women.  The book was very popular.

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Types of Vagabonds

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Anglers

Spotted by the long stick that they carried which would be used to steal clothes from washing lines at night.

Ruffler

Looked like an army officer but actually robbed people at sword point.

Clapperdudgeons

Pretended to be badly wounded by making their skin bleed.

Doxy

Always wore a needle in her hat and the large pack that she carried on her back contained all of the goods that she’d stolen.

Counterfeit cranks

Dressed in old dirty clothes and used soap to make themselves foam at the mouth and appear epileptic.

Abraham men

Pretended to be mad, walking around half naked and making strange wailing noises.

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Impotent poor (Deserving poor)

 

Unable to provide for themselves because they were too young, too old or too ill to do so.

They were not to blame for their situation and the government was sympathetic.

Many wealthier people worked to provide help and charity to those in need.

Archbishop Whitgift established almshouse in Croydon which were buildings providing accommodation and food for those in need.

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Government policies

 

Elizabeth and her government were reluctant to accept that poverty was a national problem and that the government needed to intervene.

 

1531 (Henry VIII’s rule) – Beggars were publically whipped.  If caught a second time, they would have a hole burned in their ear, and a third time would mean that they were hanged.

 

1563 the Statute of Artificers – wage limits were put on skilled workers in an effort to slow down inflation.

 

1576 ‘Act for setting the poor on work’ – placed the responsibility for finding work for the poor in the hands of the local authorities. Recognised that there were those who were able bodied and genuinely unable to find work.

 

1598 Act on Husbandry and Tillage – tried to slow down the trend for enclosure to protect rural jobs.

 

1601 Act for the Relief of the Poor – everyone had to pay towards a local poor rate.  People who refused to pay the tax would be fined or imprisoned.  This local tax would pay towards parish officials, the setting up of workhouses and the payment of relief to the ‘deserving poor’.  Each parish had to appoint 4 ‘Overseers of the Poor’.  They had to ensure that orphans had apprenticeships and almshouses were set up. The act aimed to help those were genuinely poor but it still maintained the threat of punishment for those who were considered lazy

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Examples of help for the poor

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York

 

1515 – the York Corporation begun issuing beggar licences.

1528 – a Master Beggar appointed, whose job it was to keep the rest in check.

 

Norwich

 

1570 – survey found that 80% of the population lived in poverty

Taxed the rich to pay for the care of the vulnerable.

‘Idle poor’ given work i.e. sewing/knitting.

‘Unfortunate poor’ given food and other support.

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Ipswich

 

1569 – introduced a licensing system for beggars.  It also became one of the first towns to open a hospital specifically to help the old and sick.

They introduced a youth training scheme.

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Success?

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Some argue that the Poor Law was not entirely successful as by making each area responsible for their poor, there were arguments about which area paupers belonged to.  The motives behind the law were not selfless, the government wanted to prevent any rebellions by the poor and it safely maintained the social order of the time.  Some also argue that the law did not go far enough and that poverty continued to increase.

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t was a success in that it was the very first time that the government took direct responsibility for the welfare of the people and the Poor Law stayed in place until 1834.