Society and economy under Elizabeth I

Social and Economic conditions

'By 1603 it was clear that the English people had benefitted little in social and economic terms from the rule of Elizabeth I'. Assess the validity of this viewIssues of poverty had been growing through the 16th century - link to religious changes and decline of the Church's ability to help the poor. This meant the government had to take more responsibility but this was not always successfulEconomically the reign of Elizabeth was very mixed - the conditions in the 1590s were especially challenging for her subjects

Dealing with poverty

The issue of poverty and vagabondage was growing throughout her reign - this meant that increasingly the government had to try to solve the problems1572 Act established the principle that local ratepayers should be required to pay a rate for the relief of their own poor1576 Poor Law Act was the first attempt to create a national system of poor relief to be financed and administered at a local level. Towns were required to make provisions for the employment of the deserving poor

Dealing with Poverty

Poor Law Acts of 1598 and 1601 completed this processThe Parish became responsible for administering poor reliefEach Parish had to appoint an overseer - they had to collect rates and distribute to the poorPriority was care of the impotent poor (those that were incapable of looking after themselves), setting the able-bodied to work and apprenticing children

Importance?

Government was taking responsibilityA minimum level of subsistence was set for the deserving poorThis was to be the basis of government intervention until 1834

'Undeserving' poor

This remained harsh throughout Elizabeth's reignA repressive Act in 1547 had been repealed but most agreed that the undeserving poor should be whipped1572 Act allowed the authorities to brand the undeserving poor1597 Act - first time offenders could be whipped and sent back to the parish of their birth. Repeat offenders could be executed

Economic conditions

Landowners benefitted from economic trends - income from land roseMany landowners had benefitted from the sale of church land at low prices by Henry VIII and Edward VI. The growth of wealth amongst the land-owning classes is shown by the building of great country housesFarmers at a more modest level benefitted from a rise in agricultural pricesShipbuilding was beginning to grow during her reign but this was countered by the long-term decline of the cloth industry (leading to the decline of some towns)

Economic conditions

English financial institutions remained far less sophisticated than their counterparts on continental Europe.Manchester and Plymouth began to develop (towns with a broad range of manufacturing did well). Newcastle also developed as a port supplying the needs of London.Attempts to develop oversees trade did little to benefit the economic conditions of most people

Problems in the 1590s

The decade started with a series of good harvests but there were 4 successive crop failures (1594-97)There was also an outbreak of plague (1592-93) that killed thousands (it would remain a problem for urban areas for the next 10 years)Impact on population - most parish records show more deaths than births during this period

Problems in the 1590s

The harvest failures meant that food prices rose by a third during this periodBy 1596 real wages were less than half of what they had been 9 years earlierConditions in the North were particularly bad - people suffered from starvation in and around NewcastleElizabeth and her council feared social disorder as a result - there were food riots in London, the South East and the West in 1596 and in East Anglia in 1596-97

Problems in the 1590s

Poor Laws of 1598 and 1601 have to be seen as the reaction to thisSuccessful in preventing any large scale social disorder

England by 1603

Huge difference in standard of living between the wealthy elite and the rest of the populationHowever, the population could be fed and there was only one subsistence crisis during her reign (in the 1590s)The Poor Laws alleviated the worst conditions of this crisisSmall-scale industry was developing - nail-making, brewing and soap manufacturing

England by 1603

However, it was normally only through hard work and multiple employment that people were able to avoid povertyOverall her economic record is mixed (but remember the concept of having an economic policy simply did not exist). Ministers tended to react to situations as they arose - as seen in the 1590sEven in times of crisis, the main concern would be to maintain law and order