Elizabeth I Society and Economy PDF

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Elizabeth I Society and Economy What changes took place in the size and structure of the population? How much did population increase? Population increased considerably – 3 million in 1550s, rising to around 4 million by 1603 Population growth was limited by 2 factors: Major outbreak of influenza before start of Elizabeth’s reign, increased death rate Mid-1590s England suffered from 4 bad harvests consecutively By 1597 – many parts of country facing acute food shortage leading to famine in some cases Centre for population SE and Midlands, largest city London 1603 – 130,000-150,000 in London, making it one of Europe’s largest cities alongside Paris and Naples Norwich second largest with 15,000, and other regional centres Newcastle, Bristol, Exeter and York 18 towns with populations over 5000, 90% Englishmen and women lived in villages Difficulty in accurate information on population structure and growth – parish registers give most information but do not contain information about infantile mortality after birth Main reasons for population growth was a rise in fertility and fall in death rate 1561-1600 – death rate averaged 25 per 1000 1561-1586 – 34.5 per 1000 birth rate, falling to 32 per 1000 by 1600

How was Elizabethan society structured? WILLIAM HARRISON – divided into 4 groups: gentlemen, citizens/burgesses, yeomen and artificers/labourers Gentlemen: monarch, aristocracy and gentry Aristocracy 57 in 1558, falling to 55 by 1603, included families such as Howards, Percys and Stanleys, had right to sit in HoLords Gentry – landowners who didn’t have right to sit in HoLords, comprised knights of the squire and ‘esquires’ 1558 – 600 knights 1603 – 550 knights 1601 – 16,000 knights and esquires in England England predominantly rural, yeomen next in hierarchy Held land by freehold to value of 40 shillings, but lost value with inflation Independent farmers who owned land, farms varied in size dependent on region and type of agriculture, 50 acres approx. size. Husbandmen: farmers who held small amounts of land by various methods of tenure, some freeholders, others tenants-at-will Overwhelming majority of rural population cottagers/day labourers, who rented small cottages and worked for others Low wages, poor diet = most vulnerable to diseases such as influenza and typhus During 1590s many suffered badly, in NW many suffered starvation and famine

Townspeople small proportion of population, towns grew mainly due to migration from countryside Burgesses and merchants at top in towns, possessed most wealth and key positions in town government Legal and medical professions became important in last half of 16th Century in town life Artificers/skilled craftsmen below, comprised masons, tailors, butchers, carpenters, etc STATUTE OF ARTIFICERS (1563) – craftsmen had to complete 7 year apprenticeship before qualifying Laid down rates of pay to be received within each cract Casual labourers: usually made up of migrants from countryside, provided main source of vagrants and beggars

How successful was Elizabeth’s government in dealing with the problem of inflation? Inflation affected Elizabeth at the beginning of her reign and in the 1590s Ability to end inflation at beginning of reign placed alongside other achievements

What caused inflation in Elizabethan England? Henry VIII – proportion of gold and silver in coins secretly debased in 1542-44, publicly debased further in 1544-45, needed due to high cost of warfare in last years of Henry VIII and during Somerset Wars of 1540s – approx. £3.6m, but taxation only brought in £1m, as did sale of monastic lands and there was a shortfall of £1.6m Although Quantity Theory of Money helps explain why inflation occurred in 1558, it does not explain why it returned in the 1590s By last decade rise in population meant that demand was outstripping food resources Series of poor harvests from 1594 meant demand greatly exceeded supply, and the considerable rise in the price of staple food helps explain why inflation reappeared Inflation affected all of Western Europe om 1590s, and one factor is the importation of large amounts of silver from Spanish mines in the New World i.e Potosi in Peru, which increased the supply of money Increased government costs resulting from war with Spain and rebellion in Ireland, which helped increase demand for goods, thereby forcing up prices

What actions did Elizabeth’s government take to deal with inflation? Dec 1560 – all debased money be returned, replaced by new coins containing more silver and returning quality of coinage to position before 1542-44 debasement Recoinage completed by Oct 1561 Limited money supply and re-establishing public confidence in coinage Stocks of silver increased by acquisition of Genoese loan in 1568 Also attempted to limit demand through controlling wages Statute of Artificers set wage limits for skilled workers 1590s inflation meant standard of living of workers fell as cost of living rose

How did Elizabethans deal with the issues of poverty and vagrancy? Issues of poverty and vagrancy didn’t only interest central government as many towns dealt with these issues through local laws Norwich, Ipswich and Cambridge introduced laws to deal with poor Policy at national and local level had 2 problems: How should the government punish and deter vagrants and beggars? What should they do to help the deserving poor?

What were the causes of poverty in Elizabethan England? Rise in population (43% 1550-1600) helped put pressure on limited food resources Harvest failure created famine or near-famine conditions, worst decade for problems 1590s Poor harvests earlier in reign too, such as in 1556 and 1586 = dearth conditions across England 1555-57, 1586-87 and 1596-97 Another cause of poverty was outbreak of illness, including plague Reign began with effects of influenza epidemic, which had affected end of Mary’s reign Smallpox epidemic in 1562 which almost killed Elizabeth Throughout reign severe outbreaks of plague in towns, and plague outbreak in London in 1563 accounted for deaths of over 20% of city population, epidemics in 1583-86 and 1590-93 Enclosure and engrossing of land in past been blamed for rural poverty, but by 1558 enclosure of common land passed its peak Issue of husbandry and tillage again regarded as a major economic problem in 1590s ACT ON HUSBANDRY AND TILLAGE (1598) – attempted to retain tillage, and with it employment, in the countryside Inflation also caused poverty through the rise in the cost of living Statute of Artificers placed upper limit on wages of skilled workers, and at same time standard of living of most town workers made worse by embargoes on wool exports to Netherlands in 1563-64, 1568-73 and 1580s End of warfare placed large numbers of soldiers and sailors in poverty After cancellation of attack on Portugal in 1589, large numbers of discharged soldiers and seamen roamed Kent and Sussex

Who were the poor? DESERVING POOR – orphans, elderly, infirm, widows UNDESERVING POOR – seen as threat to social order, included rogues and villains, beggars Poverty at greatest in towns Norwich 1570 census – 25% population poor, undeserving poor added Former soldiers and sailors often reduced to begging or life of crime Undeserving poor feared as usually armed, and would also include migrants who would leave their own area to look for work Cities i.e London and Norwich had large numbers of migrant workers

Poor Law Act (1576) – third category created, able-bodied deserving poor, who were given the opportunity to work in return for some poor relief

What actions were taken to deal with poverty and vagrancy? Actions by national government to deal with issues stand as a major example of gov intervention to maintain social control and order Major theme of gov policy was to deter and punish undeserving poor 1563 Act – continued policy begun earlier in Tudor period of whipping ablebodied beggars ACT FOR THE PUNISHMENT OF VAGABONDS AND FOR THE RELIEF OF THE POOR (1572) – Harshest law in reign, passed followed Northern Earls All vagabonds under age of 14 to be whipped and burned through right ear unless some honest person took them into domestic service Imprisonment for second offence, possibility of execution for persistent offenders Children of convicted beggar to be placed in domestic service Ear-boring and execution not removed until 1593 1576 ACT – Setting of poor on work, and for avoiding idleness Towns required to give unemployed work, involved setting up stocks of wool and other commodities for poor to work on Any member of poor couldn’t work = placed in local prison Prison financed from the rates, a local tax During 1590s economic crisis Parliament forced to pass harsher laws against undeserving poor ACT FOR THE PUNISHMENT OF ROGUES, VAGABONDS AND STURDY BEGGARS (1597) – Demanded all counties and cities should have local prisons to house undeserving poor Anyone caught offending for first time to be whipped and sent back to parish of birth Re-offenders to be sent to galleys, or executed Government extended power of central gov on matters relating to helping poor 1563 Act – anyone who refused to pay for aid of poor could face imprisonment Introduced fines from £2-20 for officials who failed to organise help for poor 1572 ACT – National poor law rate, turning point in helping poor as towns given responsibility for providing work for able-bodied unemployed 1597 ACT FOR THE RELIEF OF THE POOR – laid foundations for poor law for next 250 years Each parish should appoint an ‘overseer of the poor’, who had to find work for young unemployed, and had to hand out help to deserving poor Gave overseers right to take away goods and property from anyone who refused to pay taxes to aid poor Apart from Acts, government took other actions to aid poor

Privy Council made efforts to increase food supply during periods of food shortage 1576 – ordered government of City of London to buy corn Intervened to prevent export of corn during 1590s Local gov played major part in providing assistance 1569 – Ipswich established compulsory poor tax, school for young poor, local house of correction and poor hospital Norwich followed with detailed plan to deal with poverty and vagrancy in 1570s London: 5 hospitals established, Bethlehem for insane, Bridewell for vagrants, Christ’s for orphans Important source of aid from private charity, most important groups to provide aid merchants and tradesmen, usually made in a bequest in a will

How successful were government actions to deal with the poor? 1597 and 1601 Poor Law Acts remained in force for over 250 years, measure of success By 1603 central gov accepted responsibility of providing min level of subsistence for poor One of the main aims of Poor Law was to prevent major disturbances and outbreak of disorder by poor, and despite food shortages there were no major disturbances...