Tudor Poor Laws facts for kids

The Tudor Poor Laws were rules and laws about how to help people who were poor in England during the Tudor period (from 1485 to 1603). These laws changed over time, becoming more organized. They eventually led to the famous Elizabethan Poor Law in 1601, which brought together all the earlier rules.

Why Were These Laws Needed?

During the Tudor times, a lot of people were very poor. It's thought that about one-third of everyone in England lived in poverty. The number of people in the country also grew a lot between the reigns of Henry VIII and Elizabeth I. This meant more people needed help, and the government had to find ways to deal with the growing number of poor people.

Early Laws and Punishments

The first Tudor Poor Laws were mostly about punishing people who begged or wandered around without a home or job. These people were called "vagabonds." For example, in 1494, King Henry VII passed a law. It said that people who were lazy or had no job should be put in the stocks (a wooden frame that held their feet or hands). After that, they were sent back to the area where they last lived or were born.

How the Church Helped (and Changed)

Before the 1530s, churches and monasteries played a big role in helping the poor. They offered food, shelter, and encouraged people to be kind and charitable. However, during the Reformation, King Henry VIII closed down the monasteries. This meant the church had less power and money to help. As a result, helping the poor became more of a government task rather than something mainly done by the church.

New Laws Under Different Rulers

Over time, the laws about poverty became more detailed.

Rules for Begging

In 1531, a new law said that only certain people could beg legally. This meant that only those who were old or had disabilities were allowed to ask for money. People who were healthy and able to work were not allowed to beg.

A few years later, in 1536, a stricter law was passed. It said that if you were caught outside your home area without a job, you would be whipped through the streets. If caught a second time, you could lose an ear. If caught a third time, you could face the most severe punishment. However, local officials often didn't want to carry out such harsh punishments.

Help and Taxes for the Poor

Other poor laws were passed by Henry VIII's children. King Edward VI passed a law in 1547. It continued the idea of weekly collections in each local area (called a parish) to help the poor.

In 1552, the Poor Act 1552 created official lists of poor people. It also gave parishes the power to collect local taxes to help those in need.

The "Deserving Poor"

Not everyone received help. The laws focused on the "deserving poor." These were people who wanted to work but couldn't find a job. It also included those who were too old, too young, or too sick to work. Beggars who were able-bodied were not considered "deserving." They could be whipped until they changed their ways.

To keep track of beggars, Queen Mary I passed a law in 1555. It required licensed beggars to wear special badges.

Building Towards the Elizabethan Law

The laws continued to develop under Queen Elizabeth I.

In 1572, the 1572 Vagabonds Act brought in many changes. It helped organize how poor people were registered and how money was collected in parishes.

Then, in 1575, a law required each parish to have a supply of materials like wool or flax. This was so that poor people could be given work to do.

Queen Elizabeth I also passed important laws early in her reign. Her 1563 law said that everyone in a parish had to contribute money to help the poor. It also set punishments for those who refused to give money.

All these laws built up to the well-known Elizabethan Poor Law of 1601. This law brought together all the previous rules and became the main way England dealt with poverty for many years.