3.2.2

Punishments for Paupers

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The Punishment of Paupers in Tudor England

During the 16th century, beggars and vagrants were considered idle. An unwanted burden, they were punished by the state.

Beggars and vagrants

Beggars and vagrants

Vagrancy means being homeless without a regular source of income.
Vagrants were generally itinerant (meaning they travelled from place to place).
Vagrancy and beggary increased in response to problems in the countryside, such as enclosure.
This was seen as a danger. People believed it was a personal failing, not society's problem.

Vagrancy Act, 1547

Vagrancy Act, 1547

Somerset passed the Vagrancy Act in 1547. This stated that:
- Any able-bodied person out of work for more than three days was to be branded with a V and sold into slavery for two years.
It was very unpopular and never put into effect.

Poor Law, 1552

Poor Law, 1552

In 1552, Northumberland introduced restrictions on beggary. E.g. beggars had to register to be allowed to beg.

1

Monarch & Government

1.1

Tudor Monarchs

1.1.1Henry VII 1.1.2Henry VIII 1.1.3Edward VI 1.1.4Mary I 1.1.5Elizabeth I 1.1.6Succession Disputes

1.2

Changing Role of Parliament

1.2.1Parliament & Henry VII 1.2.2Parliament & Henry VIII 1.2.3Parliament After the Reformation

1.3

Principal Servants to the Crown

1.3.1Principal Servants to the Crown

2

Religious Changes

2.1

Tudor Monarchs & Religious Change

2.1.1The Henrician Reformation 2.1.2Impact of Religious Change Under Henry VIII 2.1.3Religious Change Under Edward VI 2.1.4Religious Change Under Mary I 2.1.5Elizabethan Settlement

2.2

Catholicism & Survival

2.2.1Popular Attitudes to Catholicism 2.2.2Catholicism Under Henry VIII 2.2.3Catholicism Under Elizabeth I 2.2.4Catholic Nobility

2.3

Protestantism & Puritanism

2.3.1Protestant Influences 2.3.2Protestantism Under Edward VI 2.3.3Protestantism Under Elizabeth I

3

State Control & Popular Resistance

3.1

Tudor Control of the Country

3.1.1Councils 3.1.2Role of Nobility 3.1.3Justices of the Peace 3.1.4Lord Lieutenant

3.2

The State & the Poor

3.2.1Reasons for Growth of Poverty 3.2.2Punishments for Paupers 3.2.3Role of Charities

3.3

Resistance to Tudor Rule

3.3.1Resistance to Tax & Subsidies 3.3.2Uprisings Against Henry VIII 3.3.3Uprisings Against Edward VI 3.3.4Uprisings Against Elizabeth I 3.3.5Decline of Popular Resistance

4

Economic, Social & Cultural Change

4.1

Patterns of Domestic & Foreign Trade

4.1.1Wool & Cloth 4.1.2Exploration & Trade

4.2

Changing Structure of Society

4.2.1Population 4.2.2Dissolution of Monasteries 4.2.3Enclosure

4.3

Cultural Change

4.3.1Education & Literature 4.3.2Impact of Religious Change 4.3.3Patronage 4.3.4The Arts 4.3.5Cult of Gloriana

5

Historical Interpretations

5.1

Significance of Threats to National Security

5.1.1Spain 5.1.2The Spanish Armada 5.1.3Ireland

5.2

Court Politics

5.2.1Court Factions 5.2.2Essex's Rebellion

5.3

Elizabeth & Parliament

5.3.1Conflict with Parliament

5.4

Social Distress in the 1590s

5.4.1Social Distress in the 1590s

Jump to other topics

1

Monarch & Government

1.1

Tudor Monarchs

1.1.1Henry VII 1.1.2Henry VIII 1.1.3Edward VI 1.1.4Mary I 1.1.5Elizabeth I 1.1.6Succession Disputes

1.2

Changing Role of Parliament

1.2.1Parliament & Henry VII 1.2.2Parliament & Henry VIII 1.2.3Parliament After the Reformation

1.3

Principal Servants to the Crown

1.3.1Principal Servants to the Crown

2

Religious Changes

2.1

Tudor Monarchs & Religious Change

2.1.1The Henrician Reformation 2.1.2Impact of Religious Change Under Henry VIII 2.1.3Religious Change Under Edward VI 2.1.4Religious Change Under Mary I 2.1.5Elizabethan Settlement

2.2

Catholicism & Survival

2.2.1Popular Attitudes to Catholicism 2.2.2Catholicism Under Henry VIII 2.2.3Catholicism Under Elizabeth I 2.2.4Catholic Nobility

2.3

Protestantism & Puritanism

2.3.1Protestant Influences 2.3.2Protestantism Under Edward VI 2.3.3Protestantism Under Elizabeth I

3

State Control & Popular Resistance

3.1

Tudor Control of the Country

3.1.1Councils 3.1.2Role of Nobility 3.1.3Justices of the Peace 3.1.4Lord Lieutenant

3.2

The State & the Poor

3.2.1Reasons for Growth of Poverty 3.2.2Punishments for Paupers 3.2.3Role of Charities

3.3

Resistance to Tudor Rule

3.3.1Resistance to Tax & Subsidies 3.3.2Uprisings Against Henry VIII 3.3.3Uprisings Against Edward VI 3.3.4Uprisings Against Elizabeth I 3.3.5Decline of Popular Resistance

4

Economic, Social & Cultural Change

4.1

Patterns of Domestic & Foreign Trade

4.1.1Wool & Cloth 4.1.2Exploration & Trade

4.2

Changing Structure of Society

4.2.1Population 4.2.2Dissolution of Monasteries 4.2.3Enclosure

4.3

Cultural Change

4.3.1Education & Literature 4.3.2Impact of Religious Change 4.3.3Patronage 4.3.4The Arts 4.3.5Cult of Gloriana

5

Historical Interpretations

5.1

Significance of Threats to National Security

5.1.1Spain 5.1.2The Spanish Armada 5.1.3Ireland

5.2

Court Politics

5.2.1Court Factions 5.2.2Essex's Rebellion

5.3

Elizabeth & Parliament

5.3.1Conflict with Parliament

5.4

Social Distress in the 1590s

5.4.1Social Distress in the 1590s

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Reasons for Growth of Poverty

Role of Charities