The Elizabethan Poor Law, 1601
Poverty was mostly considered to be your own fault in Elizabethan times, but attitudes started to change towards the end of Elizabeth鈥檚 reign and the government decided to take action. This was because of:
- fears that the 鈥榮ocial order鈥 might be threatened if the growing number of poor people ganged together and started a rebellion
- the risk that A wandering beggar who often turned to crime. Vagabonds were seen as a serious threat to the social order. and beggars might turn to crime
- fears that the poor might spread disease
- landowners giving more to the poor
What actions were taken?
Local level
Unpaid local officials (called Justices of the Peace) were made responsible for poverty related issues in their parish. They were allowed to collect taxes in order to help the poor and unemployed. For much of the century the authorities grouped people into three groups:
- Impotent poor - people unable to work due to age, disability or other infirmity. Limited relief was provided by the community in which they lived.
- Able-bodied poor - these were people who were physically able to work but were often unemployed. The Poor Law provided no relief for these people except employment in the workhouse.
- Vagabonds - it was thought vagabonds were lazy, idle and threatened the established social order. The 1572 Vagabonds Act took severe action against vagrants who could be whipped, bored through the ear and put to death if caught begging for a third time. Anyone over 18 who became a vagrant having been caught before could be hanged. In 1589 the government went so far as to ban individuals from sheltering people in their own homes.
National level - 1601 Poor Law
1601 saw the formalisation of earlier acts and laws of poor relief. Poor Laws were key pieces of legislation:
- they brought in a compulsory nationwide A local tax levied by a parish to finance the relief or support of the poor. system
- everyone had to contribute and those who refused would go to jail
- begging was banned and anyone caught was whipped and sent back to their place of birth
- A house for the poor to stay in paid for by charity. were established for people in genuine need to live in
Did Elizabeth successfully look after the welfare of the people?
The first 30 years of Elizabeth鈥檚 reign saw stability and prosperity, but a rising population led to growing poverty and problems, especially in towns. By the end of Elizabeth鈥檚 reign wide-ranging laws were passed to support the poor, which remained in place for the next 200 years. They played an important role in supporting the poor and signalled the first move into welfare from the state, but they did not end poverty and in fact more relief money still came from private charity.
A treatise against idle pastimes