eliz 4

Question 1

who were vagrants or vagabonds ?

Answer 1

unemployed people who roamed from town to town looking for work

Question 2

why were people worried about vagrancy ?

Answer 2

they were worried that they could commit crime and they would spread the plague

Question 3

how many people lived in poverty ?

Answer 3

by the 1580s around 30% of the population were living in poverty

Question 4

what were gentry houses like ?

Answer 4

new country houses with over 50 rooms, glazed windows, decorated chimneys

Question 5

what was food and drink like for the gentry ?

Answer 5

they hosted feasts carried by servants
they had a rich varied diet- exotic meats and pheasant, fish and sweets sugar as sugar and marzipan and expensive wine

Question 6

how did the gentry make a living ?

Answer 6

they did not work but earned all their money from renting out their lands

Question 7

what was the homes of the middling sort like ?

Answer 7

the home had around 10 rooms over two floors
they had windows, chimneys but were less decorated than the gentry

Question 8

what was food like for the middling sort?

Answer 8

they could afford to eat a good diet of meat, fruit, bread and beer
however they could not afford the luxuries like the gentry

Question 9

how did the middling sort make a living ?

Answer 9

they were merchants, small business owners or independent farmers

Question 10

what were houses of the labouring poor like ?

Answer 10

they lived in small one room houses with no chimneys or glazed windows

Question 11

what was food like for the labouring poor ?

Answer 11

the staple diet was bread but this relied on good harvest
vegetables in the garden could be made into pottage

Question 12

how did the labouring poor make a living ?

Answer 12

they travelled around looking for seasonal work on farms

Question 13

what was marriage like ?

Answer 13

the gentry had their partners chosen by their parents but most people could choose their partner
society was a patriarchy and wives were expected to obey husbands

Question 14

what was forbidden?

Answer 14

sex outside of marriage so women got married when they were pregnant
same sex marriage forbidden by the church and homosexual relationships were to be kept a secret

Question 15

what was difficult in damily life ?

Answer 15

divorce was difficult although people were encouraged to remarry if their partner died

Question 16

why were families usually quite small ?

Answer 16

because of high rates of infant mortality

Question 17

who was able to go to school ?

Answer 17

the gentry paid for their sons to go to school from the age of 7

Question 18

what did children in poorer families do ?

Answer 18

children started to work in the home or farm as soon as they were old enough

Question 19

why did children leave their homes ?

Answer 19

at the age of 12 or 13 children left their family homes to work as servants or apprentices

Question 20

what was not that important in family life ?

Answer 20

wider kinship

Question 21

how did the government respond to poverty ?

Answer 21

introduced harsh punishments to deter people drim becominf vagrants

Question 22

what happened if vagrant’s were caught?

Answer 22

the first time they were whipped and burned through the ear with a hot iron
a second time they could be hanged

Question 23

what was the 1601 poor law ?

Answer 23

a system that treated some poor people with more compassion
it divided the poor into the deserving and undeserving

Question 24

who were the deserving poor ?

Answer 24

people who wanted to work but couldn’t eg elderly, disabled

Question 25

who were the undeserving poor ?

Answer 25

people who could work but didnt eg criminals, lazy people

Question 26

how long did the 1601 poor law last ?

Answer 26

over 200 years

Question 27

how were the deserving poor treated ?

Answer 27

with compassion
given benefits
materials for work
apprenticeships for young people

Question 28

how were the undeserving poor treated ?

Answer 28

still threatened with deterrents such as whipping and hard labour

Question 29

how was the 1601 poor law paid for ?

Answer 29

by a tax called the poor rate and managed by the justices of the peace

Question 30

what were the causes if poverty ?

Answer 30

population increase
inflation
failed harvests
sheep farming