Tudor Poor Laws
Encyclopedia
The Tudor Poor Laws were the laws regarding poor relief
in Kingdom of England
around the time of the Tudor period
(1485-1603). The Tudor Poor Laws ended with the passing of the Elizabethan Poor Law in 1601, two years before the end of the Tudor dynasty
, a piece of legislation which codified the previous Tudor legislation.
During the Tudor
period it is estimated that up to a third of the population lived in poverty. The population doubled in size between the reigns of Henry VIII
and Elizabeth I. The closing of the monasteries in the 1530s increased poverty as the church had helped the poor.
The Vagabonds Act 1530 introduced a requirement for a license in order to beg. This meant that only the elderly and disabled could beg and also prevented the able-bodied from begging. In 1536 a more severe law was passed stating that those caught outside of their parish without work would be punished by being whipped through the streets. If caught a second time they could lose an ear and if caught a third time they could be executed. However officers of the law were reluctant to enforce such a draconian provision.
The Poor Act 1551 was passed requiring parishes build workhouses for the poor. In 1552 Registers of the Poor were established and parishes gained the power to raise local taxes through rates. However, help was only available to those considered deserving of poor relief. The deserving poor were those who were willing to work but were unable to find employment as well as those too old, young, or ill to work. Beggars were not considered deserving of poor relief and could be whipped though the town until they altered their behaviour. In 1572 it was made compulsory for all to pay a local poor tax; the Poor Act 1575 was introduced making sure that each parish had a store of "wool, hemp, flax, iron" so that the poor could be set to work. The Act for the Relief of the Poor 1597
gave all parishes an Overseer of the Poor
and the Vagabonds Act 1597
abolished the death penalty for vagrancy.
Poor relief
Poor Relief refers to any actions taken by either governmental or ecclesiastical bodies to relieve poverty experienced by a population. More specifically, the term poor relief is often used to discuss how European countries dealt with poverty from the time just around the end of the medieval era to...
in Kingdom of England
Kingdom of England
The Kingdom of England was, from 927 to 1707, a sovereign state to the northwest of continental Europe. At its height, the Kingdom of England spanned the southern two-thirds of the island of Great Britain and several smaller outlying islands; what today comprises the legal jurisdiction of England...
around the time of the Tudor period
Tudor period
The Tudor period usually refers to the period between 1485 and 1603, specifically in relation to the history of England. This coincides with the rule of the Tudor dynasty in England whose first monarch was Henry VII...
(1485-1603). The Tudor Poor Laws ended with the passing of the Elizabethan Poor Law in 1601, two years before the end of the Tudor dynasty
Tudor dynasty
The Tudor dynasty or House of Tudor was a European royal house of Welsh origin that ruled the Kingdom of England and its realms, including the Lordship of Ireland, later the Kingdom of Ireland, from 1485 until 1603. Its first monarch was Henry Tudor, a descendant through his mother of a legitimised...
, a piece of legislation which codified the previous Tudor legislation.
During the Tudor
Tudor dynasty
The Tudor dynasty or House of Tudor was a European royal house of Welsh origin that ruled the Kingdom of England and its realms, including the Lordship of Ireland, later the Kingdom of Ireland, from 1485 until 1603. Its first monarch was Henry Tudor, a descendant through his mother of a legitimised...
period it is estimated that up to a third of the population lived in poverty. The population doubled in size between the reigns of Henry VIII
Henry VIII of England
Henry VIII was King of England from 21 April 1509 until his death. He was Lord, and later King, of Ireland, as well as continuing the nominal claim by the English monarchs to the Kingdom of France...
and Elizabeth I. The closing of the monasteries in the 1530s increased poverty as the church had helped the poor.
The Vagabonds Act 1530 introduced a requirement for a license in order to beg. This meant that only the elderly and disabled could beg and also prevented the able-bodied from begging. In 1536 a more severe law was passed stating that those caught outside of their parish without work would be punished by being whipped through the streets. If caught a second time they could lose an ear and if caught a third time they could be executed. However officers of the law were reluctant to enforce such a draconian provision.
The Poor Act 1551 was passed requiring parishes build workhouses for the poor. In 1552 Registers of the Poor were established and parishes gained the power to raise local taxes through rates. However, help was only available to those considered deserving of poor relief. The deserving poor were those who were willing to work but were unable to find employment as well as those too old, young, or ill to work. Beggars were not considered deserving of poor relief and could be whipped though the town until they altered their behaviour. In 1572 it was made compulsory for all to pay a local poor tax; the Poor Act 1575 was introduced making sure that each parish had a store of "wool, hemp, flax, iron" so that the poor could be set to work. The Act for the Relief of the Poor 1597
Act For the Relief of the Poor 1597
The Act for the Relief of the Poor of 1597 was a piece of poor law legislation in England and Wales. It provided the first complete code of poor relief and was later amended in 1601 in the Elizabethan Poor Law of 1601 which formed the basis of poor relief for the next two centuries.The Act...
gave all parishes an Overseer of the Poor
Overseer of the Poor
An Overseer of the Poor was an official who administered poor relief such as money, food, and clothing in England and various other countries which derived their law from England.-England:...
and the Vagabonds Act 1597
Vagabonds Act 1597
The Vagabonds Act 1597 is an Act of the Parliament of England . It introduced penal transportation as a punishment for the first time. During the reign of Henry VIII, it has been estimated that 72,000 people were executed...
abolished the death penalty for vagrancy.