The Punishment Of Vagrants

The punishment of vagrants Between 1531 and 1598, various laws were passed which set down the punishments for vagrancy - these included whipping, being branded with the letter ‘V’ on their forehead, or being sent into slavery for two years. Those convicted of a second offence of vagrancy could be executed, or sold into slavery for life. Later, some of these punishments were repealed as being too harsh. Eventually, the authorities realised there were genuine cases of poverty. They tried to distinguish between ‘impotent poor’ and 'dishonest poor'.

In 1572, J. P. s were given powers to collect a weekly poor-rate (tax) from each parish to help provide for poor people who were genuinely ill, disabled or too old to work. In 1598, a system of ‘overseers of the poor’ in each parish was introduced. However, special institutions - houses of correction - were set up to deal with the ‘sturdy’ poor. In 1601, the Great Poor Law Act brought together all previous measures to help the poor, and ordered local councils to collect a poor rate to provide workhouses and hospitals. This system lasted until 1834 and a new Poor Law Act.

From about 1650, the rate of population growth began to slow down - this helped reduce the volume of poverty.