- Poor Law Amendment Act 1834
- Constitutional Crisis People’s Budget 1909
- William Booth and the Inspiration behind the Salvation Army 1865
- Statute of Labourers 1351
- Vagabonds and Beggars Act 1494
- Britain After Waterloo the British Disillusion Post 1815
- Corn Laws Economic History and Big Data
- Sir Robert Peel Prime Minister capitalised on his father’s success but what happened next?
- Great Reform Act 1832 and the riots that preceeded.
- Workhouse Test Act 1723
- Magna Carta Translation 1225
- The Framework Knitters Declaration 1812
- The Luddites
- Hyde Park Riot 1866
- Stale Bread Act 1801
Vagabbonds and Beggars Act 1494 and how idleness was treated as a crime
The lot of the poor in the late 15th Century was not good. Given the prospects that this act provided, for any poor soul found even suspected of vagrancy or idleness.
“Vagabonds, idle and suspected persons shall be set in the stocks for three days and three nights and have none other sustenance but bread and water and then shall be put out of Town. Every beggar suitable to work shall resort to the Hundred where he last dwelled, is best known, or was born and there remain upon the pain aforesaid.” Vagabonds and Beggars Act 1494.
The only concession was that Beggars who were too infirm to work were to remain in their Hundred and be permitted to beg. but with no certainty of the receipt of any charity.
The development of the body of law known and codified as the Old Poor Law tells the story of the poor sadly though brutal times. Easy to judge with hindsight and our modern expectations but the laws imposed provided a good source of contemporary material showing what the ruling elite of the time believed were acceptable conditions to impose on and control the wider population.
To get an overview of the click here Old Poor Law for a summary and chronology of the relevant laws and subsequently the review of 1832 and impact of the 1834 Poor Law amendment Act which was to set harsh terms yet again for the less fortunate.
A browsing of the summaries certainly makes us realise how fortunate we have all been whatever the shortcomings to have grown up with the benefits of a welfare state. As ever the balance needs to be struck and maybe this historical context helps us re-consider what is balanced.
Social history of the time certainly set in context with a review of the relevant legislation, timelines will be added to help the speedy review and connections between the important acts.
Posted in TIMELINE, 15th Century 1400-1499, Europe, UK, England, LOCATION, THEME The Law and History
