Great Britain -- History -- Elizabeth, 1558-1603 -- Sources; Great Britain -- History -- Tudors, 1485-1603 -- Sources
shall be taken, adjudged and deemed Rogues, Vagabonds, and
Sturdy Beggars....
XI. Provided that this Act nor anything contained therein do in any wise
extend to any harvest folks that travel into any country of this realm
for harvest work ... neither yet to any that happeneth to be robbed or
spoiled by the way ... neither yet to any serving men of honest
behaviour that be turned from their masters, or whose master ... shall
be dead....
XVI. And forasmuch as Charity would that poor aged and impotent persons
should as necessarily be provided for as the said Rogues, Vagabonds and
Sturdy Beggars repressed, and that the said aged, impotent and poor
people should have convenient habitations and abiding places ... to the
end that they nor any of them should hereafter beg or wander about; it
is therefore enacted ... that the Justices of the Peace and all and
singular the Shires of England and Wales ... shall ... make diligent
search and enquiry of all aged poor impotent and decayed persons born
within their said divisions and limits, or which were there dwelling
within three years next before this present Parliament ... which live
... by alms ... and shall make a register book of the names and surnames
of all such.... And ... shall ... devise and appoint ... meet and
convenient places ... for their habitations and abidings, if the parish
within which they shall be found shall not or will not provide for them
... and shall ... set down what portion the weekly charge towards the
relief and sustentation of the said poor people will amount unto ...
and, that done, they the said Justices ... shall by their good
discretions tax and assess all and every the said inhabitants ... to
such weekly charge as they and every of them shall weekly contribute
towards the relief of the said poor people....
XVII. And be it further enacted ... that the Mayor of the City of London
and the Mayors, Sheriffs, Bailiffs ... and the Constables ... within all
... the said shires of England and Wales shall once a month ... make a
view and search of all the aged impotent and lame persons within the
precinct of their jurisdictions, and all such ... persons as they shall
find, not being born within that division ... then they shall presently
see the same poor people (except leprous people and bed-rid people) ...
to be conveyed on horseback, in cart or otherwise ... to the next
constable, and so from constable to constable the directest way, till
the said person ... be brought to the place where he or she was born or
most conversant by the space of three years next before, and there to be
put in the Abiding Place....
XVIII. And be it enacted ... that if any of the said poor people ...
refuse to be bestowed to any of the said Abiding Places ... but covet
still to hold on their trade of begging, or ... do depart and beg, then
the said person so offending ... to be accounted a Rogue or Vagabond....
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