Poverty and the Poor Laws
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- Created on: 20-04-20 18:03
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- Poverty and the Poor Laws
- The Growth of Poverty
- Increased population resulted in inflation.
- The 'century of inflation' were the years 1540-1640.
- Population increase put pressure on resources, especially food.
- Prices rose as much as 800%, but wages only rose by 300%.
- Thus, there was an incease in the levels of poverty, with growing divisions between the rich and the poor.
- The people who didn't produce enough food to feed their family, thus not having any to sell, were hit the hardest.
- The growing percentage of the population who were increasingly reliant on wage labour also saw a decline in their living standards.
- Agriculture relied on seasonal employment, thus many rural workers could only find employment for 6 months of the year.
- Additionally, with a growing population there were more workers than jobs available.
- Thus, poverty increased as more people struggled to find full-time employment.
- Additionally, with a growing population there were more workers than jobs available.
- Agriculture relied on seasonal employment, thus many rural workers could only find employment for 6 months of the year.
- Thus, there was an incease in the levels of poverty, with growing divisions between the rich and the poor.
- Increased population resulted in inflation.
- The Poor Laws
- 1540-1640, the population grew faster than the resource of food.
- There were times where so much pressure on the food resources meant that those at the lower end of society faed starvation/ death.
- The 1601 Elizabethan Poor Law created a system which provided basic relief for those unable to work.
- Although the Law set up the legal framework to tackle poverty, there was no reform to the system until 1834.
- The growth in poverty was reflected in the rise in the 'poor rate', from £250,000 per year in 1650 to £700,000 per year by 1700.
- To help the poor, the government attempted to regulate the trade in grain.
- This was to ensure that if the harvest failed there was enough stock of grain available at a low price to prevent starvation.
- In responce to harvest failures in 1629 and 1630, Charles I's Privy Council issued new Books of Orders.
- The Books were instructions to Justices of the Peace about how they should carry out their local government duties.
- Included advise on how to levy (levy= fee) the 'poor rate' and what actions to take when dealing with the poor.
- One important task was to enourage young people to take up an apprenticeship.
- By 1640, 1,400 officers were responsible for organising poor relief in parishes.
- Included advise on how to levy (levy= fee) the 'poor rate' and what actions to take when dealing with the poor.
- The Books were instructions to Justices of the Peace about how they should carry out their local government duties.
- 1540-1640, the population grew faster than the resource of food.
- Beggars and Vagrants
- In the early 1600's, due to the population rise, there wasnt enough work to go around.
- Most people still worked in agriculture, which was only seasonal work.
- Hence, many didn't have work for the whole year, only half.
- During the off period, there were too many people seeking work that wasn't there.
- Hence, many didn't have work for the whole year, only half.
- Most people still worked in agriculture, which was only seasonal work.
- This rising unemployment, combined with economic hardship, resulted in an increase in homeless beggars who toured the country.
- Most of these people were in their late teens and early twenties.
- Records say 22% of vagrants passed through Salisbury in the early modern period had already traveled 100 by the time they arrvied.
- Begging and vagrancy became more of an issue in times of scarce resources.
- Vagrants were seen as sources of crime and instability.
- They were often rounded up and punished.
- Some were later transported to the American colonies.
- Laws (eg 1662 Settlement Law) were passed to limit movement.
- If a man left his own parish to work elsewhere he had to possess a settlement certificate guarenteeing that his home parish would pay for his return if he needed poor relief.
- They were often rounded up and punished.
- In the early 1600's, due to the population rise, there wasnt enough work to go around.
- The Growth of Poverty
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