H30: The Problem of the Poor

Foundation Higher AQAEdexcelOCREduqasCCEA

Why poverty increased in Elizabethan England, the distinction between the deserving and undeserving poor, and how the government responded through legislation from 1572 to 1601.

Exam Board:

📖 The Scale of Poverty

Key Context: Poverty was one of the most serious problems in Elizabethan England. The population grew from approximately 3 million in 1550 to over 4 million by 1600, but the economy could not provide enough work or food for everyone. The dissolution of the monasteries (1536-41) had destroyed the main system of charitable support for the poor, and economic changes left increasing numbers of people destitute. The government was forced to create new legislation to deal with the crisis.

Evidence of Growing Poverty

Between 1550 and 1600, the population of England grew by approximately 35%, but agricultural production did not keep pace
Real wages fell by approximately 50% between 1500 and 1600 - prices rose faster than wages
Harvest failures were frequent and devastating: bad harvests in 1555-56, 1585-86, and 1594-97 caused food prices to soar
The number of vagrants (homeless wanderers) increased dramatically - estimates suggest 20,000-30,000 vagrants in England by the 1590s
Many towns reported that 10-20% of their population was dependent on poor relief

Example: The Harvest Crisis of 1594-97

A series of terrible harvests from 1594 to 1597 caused severe food shortages and price increases. The price of wheat rose by approximately 90% between 1594 and 1597. In some areas, the poor were reduced to eating dogs, cats, and even grass. Riots broke out in several towns as people protested against high food prices. The crisis demonstrated that poverty was not caused by individual laziness - it could strike anyone when the harvest failed. This period was the worst subsistence crisis of the entire Elizabethan era.

📉 Causes of Poverty

1. Enclosure

Landowners were increasingly "enclosing" common land with hedges and fences to keep sheep for the lucrative wool trade
This deprived peasants of the common land they had used for grazing animals and growing crops
Enclosure drove people off the land and into the towns, where they often could not find work
Thomas More wrote in "Utopia" (1516): "Sheep that were wont to be so meek and tame... now, as I hear, become so great devourers... that they eat up and swallow down the very men themselves"

2. Bad Harvests

Elizabethan agriculture was vulnerable to weather - a bad summer meant a poor harvest and food shortages
The "Little Ice Age" (a period of colder weather from approximately 1300 to 1850) made harvests increasingly unreliable
When harvests failed, food prices rose sharply, and the poor could not afford to eat
There was no effective system for storing surplus food or distributing it during shortages

3. Rising Population

England's population grew from approximately 2.5 million in 1500 to over 4 million by 1600
More people meant more demand for food, housing, and jobs, but the supply could not keep up
The population growth was partly due to earlier marriage and larger families
There were simply not enough jobs or resources for the growing population

4. Debasement of Coinage

Henry VIII and Edward VI had debased the coinage (reducing the silver content of coins) to raise money for wars
This caused severe inflation - prices rose faster than wages
Although Elizabeth restored the silver content of coins in 1560-61, the damage to prices had already been done
Between 1500 and 1600, prices approximately tripled while wages barely doubled

5. Other Causes

The dissolution of the monasteries (1536-41) removed the main source of charity for the poor
Discharged soldiers and sailors often had no work to return to after wars ended
Illness, disability, and old age could push any family into poverty
The cloth trade collapse (a major employer) during economic downturns caused mass unemployment

Cause	Details	Impact
Enclosure	Land fenced off for sheep farming; common land lost	Rural poor driven off the land; migration to towns
Bad harvests	Unreliable weather; no food storage systems	Food prices soared; famine; riots
Rising population	Population grew from 2.5m to 4m (1500-1600)	Not enough jobs or resources
Debasement of coinage	Henry VIII reduced silver in coins; caused inflation	Prices tripled; wages barely doubled
Dissolution of monasteries	Monasteries (the main source of charity) closed 1536-41	No organised charity for the poor

🤔 Attitudes to the Poor

The Deserving vs. Undeserving Poor

The Key Distinction: Elizabethan people divided the poor into two categories:

The "deserving poor": Those who were poor through no fault of their own - the old, the sick, the disabled, widows, orphans, and those temporarily unemployed due to harvest failure. These people deserved sympathy and help.
The "undeserving poor": Those who were believed to be poor through their own fault - the idle, the lazy, drunkards, and vagrants who chose not to work. These people deserved punishment, not help.

This distinction was central to all Elizabethan poor law legislation.

Why People Feared Vagrants

Vagrants were seen as a threat to law and order - they were associated with crime, begging, and disorder
They were believed to be spreaders of disease
They were suspected of being spies or plotters against the government
They were often disabled or disfigured, which people found threatening
Popular pamphlets and sermons depicted vagrants as dangerous criminals who would rob or murder honest citizens

Example: Attitudes to Vagrants

Thomas Harman's "A Caveat for Common Cursitors" (1567) described the various types of vagrants in terrifying detail: "Upright Men" (vagrant leaders), "Abram Men" (feigning madness), "Whip Jacks" (pretending to be shipwrecked sailors), and "Dummerers" (pretending to be mute). Harman claimed that vagrants lived in a criminal underworld with its own language ("canting") and hierarchy. Such pamphlets reinforced the belief that vagrants were dangerous criminals, not desperate people in need of help.

Category	Who They Were	Public Attitude	Treatment
Deserving poor	The old, sick, disabled, widows, orphans	Sympathy and charity	Given help (food, money, shelter)
Undeserving poor / Vagrants	The able-bodied who would not work	Fear, anger, disgust	Whipped, branded, imprisoned, executed

📜 Government Legislation on Poverty

The 1572 Vagabond Act

Also known as the "Vagrancy Act" - one of the harshest pieces of legislation in Elizabethan history
Defined vagrants as "rogues, vagabonds, and sturdy beggars" who could work but chose not to
First offence: Vagrants were to be publicly whipped and burned through the right ear with a hot iron
Second offence: Vagrants could be imprisoned or deported
Third offence: Vagrants could be executed as felons
Justices of the Peace were required to register all vagrants and oversee their punishment
The Act also made the first provision for a compulsory poor rate (local tax) to support the deserving poor

The Harshness of the 1572 Act: The 1572 Act was deliberately brutal because it treated vagrancy as a criminal problem, not a social one. Burning through the ear permanently marked a person as a vagrant, making it impossible for them to escape the stigma. The threat of execution for a third offence was extreme, though it was rarely carried out in practice. The Act reflected the fear and anger that vagrants inspired in the propertied classes.

The 1576 Poor Relief Act

Also known as the "Act for Setting of the Poor on Work"
Required every town to provide work for the able-bodied poor - such as spinning, weaving, or other labour
Established "Houses of Correction" (also called "Bridewells") where the able-bodied poor were put to work
If the poor refused work, they could be sent to a House of Correction and imprisoned
The Act tried to address the root cause of poverty (lack of work) rather than just punishing the poor
It represented a shift towards a more constructive approach to poverty

The 1597 Act for the Relief of the Poor

Built on the 1576 Act and responded to the severe poverty crisis of the 1590s
Required each parish (local church area) to appoint an "overseer of the poor" to organise relief
Overseers were to assess needs, collect the poor rate, and distribute relief to the deserving poor
They were also to set the able-bodied poor to work and apprentice poor children to trades
This was the most comprehensive poor law legislation yet enacted

The 1601 Poor Law (The Act for the Relief of the Poor)

The most famous and lasting of all the Elizabethan poor laws - it remained the basis of the English poor law system for over 230 years
Consolidated and codified all previous legislation into a single comprehensive statute
Key provisions:
Each parish was made responsible for its own poor - this was the principle of "parish responsibility"
Parish overseers were to raise a compulsory poor rate (local tax) from all property owners
The poor rate was to be used to: (1) provide materials to set the able-bodied poor to work; (2) relieve the impotent poor (the old, sick, and disabled); (3) apprentice poor children
Vagrants were to be whipped and sent back to their parish of birth
Parents and children were held responsible for each other's support - families had to care for their own poor before claiming parish relief

The 1601 Poor Law Framework:
Parish = Basic unit of poor relief
Overseers = Appointed to organise and distribute relief
Poor Rate = Compulsory local tax on property owners
Deserving Poor = Given relief (food, clothing, money)
Able-bodied Poor = Set to work
Vagrants = Whipped and returned to home parish
This system lasted until the 1834 Poor Law Amendment Act.

Act	Year	Key Provisions	Significance
Vagabond Act	1572	Harsh punishments for vagrants (whipping, ear-burning, execution); first compulsory poor rate	First national attempt to deal with poverty; extremely punitive
Poor Relief Act	1576	Required towns to provide work; established Houses of Correction	Shifted from punishment to providing work
Act for Relief of the Poor	1597	Parish overseers appointed; poor rate collected and distributed	Most comprehensive legislation yet; responded to 1590s crisis
Poor Law	1601	Consolidated all previous legislation; parish responsibility; compulsory poor rate	Remained basis of English poor law for 230+ years

⛓️ Punishment of Vagrants

The punishment of vagrants was severe and deliberately public, designed to deter others from choosing a life of wandering.

Typical Punishments

Whipping: Vagrants were publicly stripped and whipped through the streets. This was the most common punishment
Ear-burning: Under the 1572 Act, a vagrant's right ear was burned through with a hot iron as a permanent mark
Branding: Some vagrants were branded with a "V" (for vagrant) on their chest or hand
Stocks and pillory: Vagrants were locked in wooden frames in public places, where they were humiliated and sometimes pelted with rubbish
Return to home parish: Vagrants were physically carried back to the parish where they were born, which was responsible for them
Imprisonment: Persistent vagrants could be sent to Houses of Correction or prisons
Execution: For a third offence under the 1572 Act, vagrants could technically be executed, though this was rare

How Effective Were the Punishments? The harsh punishments for vagrants were largely ineffective. Whipping and branding did not solve the underlying causes of poverty - vagrants returned to wandering because they had no alternative. The punishments were also difficult to enforce consistently: JPs were often reluctant to carry out extreme sentences; local communities sometimes sympathised with local vagrants; and the system of returning vagrants to their home parish was impractical. The fundamental problem was that legislation treated poverty as a moral failing rather than an economic problem.

📊 How Effective Was the Elizabethan Approach to Poverty?

Strengths: The Elizabethan poor laws created the first national system of poor relief in English history. The 1601 Poor Law remained the basis of the system for over 230 years. The distinction between deserving and undeserving poor ensured that the most vulnerable received some help. The compulsory poor rate provided a reliable source of funding. The parish system meant that relief was organised at a local level, making it more responsive to local needs.

Weaknesses: The system was inconsistent - each parish operated independently, leading to enormous variation in the quality and quantity of relief. The harsh treatment of vagrants did not address the causes of poverty. The parish system meant that the poor could not move to find work without losing their right to relief. The system was underfunded and overwhelmed during crisis years (like 1594-97). The distinction between deserving and undeserving was often arbitrary and cruel. The system stigmatised the poor and treated poverty as a personal moral failing.

❓ Practice Questions

Q1: Explain two causes of poverty in Elizabethan England. (4 marks)

Q2: What was the difference between the "deserving poor" and the "undeserving poor"? (4 marks)

Q3: Describe the punishments that could be given to vagrants under the 1572 Vagabond Act. (4 marks)

Q4: How did the Elizabethan government's approach to poverty change between 1572 and 1601? (8 marks)

Q5: "The Elizabethan government was more concerned with punishing vagrants than helping the poor." How far do you agree? (16 marks + 4 SPaG)

Q6: Explain why the 1601 Poor Law was significant. (4 marks)

✅ Answers

Two causes: (1) Enclosure - landowners fenced off common land for sheep farming, depriving peasants of the land they needed for grazing and growing food, driving them off the land into towns; (2) Rising population - the population grew from 2.5 million to over 4 million between 1500 and 1600, creating more demand for food, housing, and jobs than the economy could supply. Other causes include bad harvests, debasement of coinage, and the dissolution of the monasteries.
The "deserving poor" were those who were poor through no fault of their own - the old, sick, disabled, widows, and orphans - and were considered worthy of sympathy and help. The "undeserving poor" were the able-bodied who could work but chose not to - vagrants, beggars, and the idle - who were considered morally responsible for their poverty and deserving of punishment rather than help.
Under the 1572 Act: first offence - public whipping and burning through the right ear with a hot iron; second offence - imprisonment or deportation; third offence - execution as a felon. Vagrants were also to be returned to their home parish. The punishments were deliberately harsh and public to deter others.
The government's approach changed from primarily punitive to more constructive: the 1572 Act focused on harsh punishment of vagrants (whipping, ear-burning, execution); the 1576 Act shifted towards providing work for the able-bodied poor and establishing Houses of Correction; the 1597 Act appointed parish overseers and organised systematic relief; the 1601 Act consolidated all previous legislation, maintaining punishment for vagrants but also ensuring a comprehensive system of relief for the deserving poor. The overall trend was from punishment towards a more balanced approach combining punishment with relief.
A balanced answer should discuss: the punitive approach (the 1572 Act's extreme punishments for vagrants - whipping, ear-burning, execution; the harsh treatment of the "undeserving poor"; the fact that punishments did not address the causes of poverty); the helpful approach (the poor rate providing funding for relief; the 1576 Act providing work; the 1601 Act creating a comprehensive system of parish relief for the deserving poor). Argue that the government was initially more concerned with punishment but gradually developed a more balanced approach - though the underlying assumption that poverty was a moral problem rather than an economic one remained throughout the period.
The 1601 Poor Law was significant because: it consolidated all previous poor law legislation into a single comprehensive statute; it established the principle of parish responsibility for the poor; it created a compulsory poor rate funded by local property owners; it provided relief for the deserving poor, work for the able-bodied, and apprenticeships for poor children; it remained the basis of the English poor law system for over 230 years until the 1834 Poor Law Amendment Act.

🎯 Exam Tips

Always use specific dates: 1572 Vagabond Act, 1576 Poor Relief Act, 1597 Act, 1601 Poor Law
Know the distinction between deserving and undeserving poor - it's fundamental to all poor law questions
For cause questions, explain EACH cause separately with specific details
When discussing legislation, explain both the provisions AND their significance
For "how far do you agree" questions, present both sides before reaching a judgement
Link the poor laws to the broader context: dissolution of monasteries, population growth, inflation
Remember that the 1601 Poor Law lasted 230+ years - this shows its importance

📝 Exam Technique

History Exam Tips — The Problem of the Poor:
1. For The Problem of the Poor, include specific factual detail: dates, names, events and statistics where relevant
2. For source questions, analyse provenance (who, when, why, audience) before using the content
3. In evaluation questions, discuss multiple factors and weigh their relative significance
4. Always link back to the question focus — don't just narrate what happened with The Problem of the Poor
5. Use phrases like 'the most significant factor was... because...' to show analytical judgement

⚠️ Common Errors

Watch Out!

Students often think elizabeth solved the religious problem. Wrong: Elizabeth solved the religious problem Correct: The Religious Settlement was a compromise that satisfied neither Puritans nor Catholics. Catholic plots continued throughout her reign.

Students often think the spanish armada was defeated entirely by the english. Wrong: The Spanish Armada was defeated entirely by the English Correct: While English tactics (fire ships) were important, the weather played a crucial role. Many Spanish ships were wrecked by storms.

Students often think elizabethan england was a golden age for everyone. Wrong: Elizabethan England was a golden age for everyone Correct: While the elite prospered, many lived in poverty. Enclosure displaced peasants, harvests failed, and the Poor Laws were often harsh.

✍️ Model Answer

Full-Mark Response

12 marks: Explain why poverty increased in Elizabethan England.

Poverty increased in Elizabethan England because of a combination of economic, demographic, and agricultural factors. Enclosure was a major cause: landowners fenced off common land with hedges to keep sheep for the lucrative wool trade, depriving peasants of the land they had used for grazing and growing crops. Thomas More wrote in "Utopia" (1516): "Sheep that were wont to be so meek and tame... now become so great devourers... that they eat up and swallow down the very men themselves." Enclosure drove people off the land and into towns where they often could not find work.

Rising population was another significant cause. England's population grew from approximately 2.5 million in 1500 to over 4 million by 1600 — an increase of approximately 60%. More people meant more demand for food, housing, and jobs, but the economy could not keep up. Real wages fell by approximately 50% between 1500 and 1600 as prices rose faster than wages. The debasement of coinage by Henry VIII and Edward VI — reducing the silver content of coins to fund wars — caused severe inflation. Although Elizabeth restored the silver content in 1560-61, the damage was done: prices approximately tripled while wages barely doubled.

Bad harvests made poverty worse. The "Little Ice Age" made harvests increasingly unreliable. Terrible harvests from 1594 to 1597 caused the price of wheat to rise by approximately 90%, reducing the poor to eating dogs, cats, and grass, and causing riots in several towns. The dissolution of the monasteries (1536-41) had removed the main source of organised charity, leaving no replacement system until the government stepped in.

The government responded with increasingly comprehensive legislation. The 1572 Vagabond Act was harsh: first-offence vagrants were publicly whipped and burned through the right ear; a second offence meant imprisonment; a third could mean execution. However, the 1572 Act also introduced the first compulsory poor rate to support the deserving poor. The 1576 Poor Relief Act required towns to provide work for the able-bodied and established Houses of Correction. The 1601 Poor Law consolidated all previous legislation: each parish was responsible for its own poor, overseers raised a compulsory poor rate from property owners, the deserving poor received relief, the able-bodied were set to work, and vagrants were whipped and returned to their home parish. This system lasted over 230 years until the 1834 Poor Law Amendment Act. In conclusion, poverty increased because structural economic changes — enclosure, population growth, and inflation — pushed more people into destitution, while the dissolution of the monasteries removed the safety net. The government gradually moved from punishing vagrants to creating a systematic approach to poor relief.

📊 AO Deep Dive

Assessment Objective Analysis

AQA History tests three AOs: AO1 (Knowledge, 35%) requires recall of specific facts, dates and details about The Problem of the Poor; AO2 (Explanation, 35%) requires explaining causes, consequences and changes using detailed knowledge; AO3 (Sources and Interpretations, 30%) requires analysing provenance, content and usefulness of sources, and evaluating different historical interpretations. For grade 9, you need precise knowledge (specific dates, statistics and named individuals), sophisticated explanation showing how factors interrelate, and nuanced source analysis considering purpose, audience and context. The key difference between grade 5 and grade 9 is DETAIL and ANALYSIS — top answers support every point with specific evidence and reach substantiated conclusions.

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