TIMELINE

Edward VI and Vagrancy Act 1547 Poor Laws

VAGRANCY ACT

The Vagrancy Act 1547 was an uncaring response to a complicated social and economic situation after the death of King Henry VIII. The poor were penalized for a series of poor decisions by the Privy Council.

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Saxon Guilds and Livery Companies

Saxon livery companies and conferences of the guilds
This entry is part 1 of 3 in the series Livery Companies

In Saxon Britain,before the poor law acts were introduced, religious guilds formed to provide support and relief for their members. As communities became more settled, working together to provide mutual help made sense. Many of these guilds became City Livery Companies.

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Punishment of Vagabonds and Beggars 1536 Henry VIII

This entry is part 6 of 8 in the series Law - Poor Law

1536 Anne Boelyn executed. Dissolution of the Monasteries commences following Henry VIII’s declaration of Supremacy over the Church… Doesn’t bode well for the poor and idle if that is how you treat the people you love…Trace what happens next in the plight of the poor and the evolution of the wlefare state. It all goes back a lot further than you might think….

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Statute Punishment of Beggars and Vagabonds 1531

This entry is part 2 of 8 in the series Law - Poor Law

Was Henry VIII and his rule kind to Beggars? How does this act reflect the longer timeline of legislative events that lead to our current day Welfare State and how far back do the roots go, a snippet in a series of linked posts, designed to piece together the evidence that led to the British Welfare State. With great relevance and resonance with our current and hard pressed economic climate…

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