How did the Tudors handle the issues of poverty and vagrancy?

The Tudors addressed poverty and vagrancy through a series of laws known as the Tudor Poor Laws, which aimed to provide relief and punishment.

The Tudor period, spanning from 1485 to 1603, was a time of significant social and economic change in England. The issues of poverty and vagrancy were particularly pressing, and the Tudor monarchs sought to address these through a series of laws and measures, collectively known as the Tudor Poor Laws.

The first of these laws was enacted in 1495 under Henry VII, which made it illegal to give alms to able-bodied beggars. This was followed by the 1531 Vagabonds Act, which declared vagrancy a crime and prescribed punishments such as whipping and imprisonment. The aim of these early laws was primarily punitive, seeking to deter people from becoming vagrants rather than addressing the root causes of poverty.

However, the approach to poverty and vagrancy began to shift under the reign of Elizabeth I. The 1572 Act for the Punishment of Vagabonds and for Relief of the Poor and Impotent introduced a more systematic approach to poor relief. Under this law, local parishes were made responsible for collecting a poor rate, a tax used to provide relief for the 'deserving poor' - those unable to work due to age or infirmity. Able-bodied poor were expected to work, and the law provided for the establishment of Houses of Correction where they could be set to work.

The Elizabethan Poor Law of 1601 further refined this system. It formalised the role of the parish in poor relief, and categorised the poor into three groups: the impotent poor (those unable to work), the able-bodied poor, and 'idle' poor (those able but unwilling to work). The impotent poor were to be cared for in almshouses, while the able-bodied poor were provided with work. The idle poor, meanwhile, were subject to punishment.

These laws represented a significant shift in attitudes towards poverty and vagrancy. Rather than simply punishing the poor, the Tudors began to recognise that poverty was a societal issue that required a systematic response. However, the measures they implemented were not without controversy. The poor rates were unpopular with wealthier citizens, who resented having to pay for the relief of the poor. Moreover, the distinction between the 'deserving' and 'undeserving' poor was often arbitrary and subject to abuse