Vagabonds Act 1572

The Vagabonds Act of 1572 was a law passed in England under Queen Elizabeth I.^[1] It is a part of the Tudor Poor Laws and a predecessor to the Elizabethan Poor Laws.

The 1572 act provided that justices of the peace were to register the names of the "aged, decayed, and impotent" poor to determine how much money was required to care for them. The Justices of the peace would then assess all inhabitants of the parish for their keep. Overseers of the poor would periodically conduct "views and searches" of the poor. Those refusing to contribute to poor relief would be confined to the gaol.^[2]

Justices of the Peace were allowed to license beggars if there were too many for the parish to provide for. Any unlicensed vagabonds were to be whipped and burned through the ear.^[3] It further provided that any surplus funds could be used to “place and settle to work the rogues and vagabonds.”

Combined with the 1575 Poor Act, the 1572 act formed the basis for the subsequent Elizabethan Poor Laws.^[4]

References

↑ 14 Eliz. I c. 5
↑ Sidney & Beatrice Webb, English Local Government: English Poor Law History Part 1, pg. 52
↑ Paul Slack, The English Poor Law 1531-1782 60
↑ Paul Slack, The English Poor Law 1531-1782 18--19

Poor Laws of the British Isles

Poor Laws by territory	England and Wales Scotland Ireland Isle of Man Channel Islands	Nantwich workhouse

Old Poor Law	Tudor Poor Laws Act for the Relief of the Poor 1597 Elizabethan Poor Law (1601) Poor Relief Act 1662 Poor Act 1697 Workhouse Test Act Relief of the Poor Act 1782 House of Correction Overseer of the poor Poor rate Poor relief

Relief systems	Indoor relief Outdoor relief Classification of the poor Speenhamland Labour Rate Roundsman Committee for the Relief of the Black Poor

New Poor Law	Royal commission (1832) Poor Law Amendment Act 1834 Poor Law (Scotland) Act 1845 Less eligibility Workhouse Workhouse test Board of guardians Outdoor Labour Test Order Outdoor Relief Prohibitory Order Poor law unions Opposition Book of Murder Scottish poorhouses

Changes after 1834	Poor Law Commission Poor Law Board Local Government Board Andover workhouse scandal Huddersfield workhouse scandal Union Chargeability Act

Decline and abolition	Liberal welfare reforms Royal Commission (1905–09) Majority Report Minority Report Interwar poverty National Assistance Act 1948

Other	Historiography of the Poor Laws Timeline of the Poor Law system Poor Relief Act List of poor law unions in England List of poor law unions in Wales List of Irish Poor Law Unions

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