Paupers

Who were the paupers?

People who didn't have jobs in Elizabethan society were called paupers. Paupers were at the bottom of the social ladder.

What was done to help the paupers during Elizabeth's rule?

People began to understand that paupers were not to necessarily to blame for their own poverty. Charities set up to assist the poor became more common.

What kind of paupers were vagabonds during Elizabeth's rule?

The wandering poor were known as vagabonds. They usually relied on begging to survive.

What were the laws against paupers during Elizabeth's rule?

There were two acts introduced to reduce begging.

• ❖ The Vagabonds Act 1572.
• ❖ The Act for the Relief of the Poor 1576.

How did the Vagabonds Act 1572 affect paupers?

The Vagabonds Act 1572 was intended to punish vagabonds in the following ways:

• ❖ Beggars were whipped in public.
• ❖ If beggars were caught more than once, they had a hole burned in their ear.
• ❖ Further offences led to hanging.

How did the Act for the Relief of the Poor 1576 help paupers?

The Act for the Relief of the Poor 1576 was intended to help solve the problem of unemployment in the following ways:

• ❖ Each town was required to provide work for the unemployed.
• ❖ People refusing to pay the poor rate were punished.
• ❖ Houses of correction were built in each county.