The Early History of English Poor ReliefLeonard, E. M., of Girton College
History
The Early History of English Poor Relief
Leonard, E. M., of Girton College
Poor laws -- Great Britain -- History
Another speaker was Mr Thomas Wilson, to whom we owe the organisation
of the Record office of his time. Like a modern secretary of the
Charity Organisation Society he told his hearers that "it was no
charity, to give to such a one, as we know not, being a stranger unto
us."
No statute followed this discussion of 1571, but when Parliament again
met in 1572 a Bill was brought into the House of Lords which finally
became law. The main feature of the debate in 1572 was a dispute
between the Lords and the Commons as to the definition of the word
"vagabond." The definition in the Act includes[130] (1) proctors or
procurators; (2) persons "using subtyll craftye unlawful Games" and
"fayninge themselves to have knowledge in Phisnomye, Palmestrye, and
other abused Scyences"; (3) all able-bodied persons not having either
"land or maister" who cannot give a satisfactory account of their
means of livelihood; (4) all "fencers, Bearewardes, Comon Players in
Enterludes and minstrels" not belonging to a Baron or other honourable
person of greater degree and all "Juglers, Pedlars, Tynkers and Petye
Chapmen" unless the bearwards, tinkers etc. were licensed by two
justices of the peace; (5) common labourers, able to work, who refuse
to work for the customary wages; (6) all counterfeiters of passes and
all who use them knowing them to be counterfeit; (7) all scholars of
Oxford and Cambridge who beg without being licensed by Chancellor
or Vice-Chancellor; (8) all shipmen not properly licensed; (9) all
liberated prisoners who beg without a license, and lastly (10) all
persons declared vagabonds by the clauses of the Act which concern
the impotent poor. A great many people were thus affected by the Act;
the unauthorised beggar, the workman on strike, the poor scholar at
the Universities, unless he were duly licensed, and the shipwrecked
mariner, as well as the fortune-teller and the proctor or collector of
subscriptions. All these were abandoned to their fate, but the clause
concerning the suppression of "minstrells, bearwards, pedlers etc."
caused a dispute between the Lords and the Commons[131]. These men took
the place which shops, circuses and newspapers occupy in the life of
to-day, and their total suppression would have meant a considerable
loss in the country life of Merry England. After discussion the two
houses agreed upon a compromise; it was arranged that these people
should be allowed if licensed by two justices of the peace, and the
Bill became law as the 14 Eliz. c. 5.
[130] 14 Eliz. c. 5.
[131] D'Ewes' _Journals_, p. 220.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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