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Municipal Schemes and Relief for the Poor


            The interpretation given in the question is that municipal schemes contributed more to the relief of the poor and vagrant in the period 1483-1603. During the 16th century, cities in England introduced schemes which provided relief for the poor and vagrant, by giving them the necessary charity, housing and the employment that they needed. Examples of these schemes include that of Norwich, which was developed at the start of Elizabeth's reign, and was said to last around the 1580's, and that of London, which was also introduced in this era. The church had a traditional expectation that they had a social/welfare role in society, and this was providing social security and basic benefits such as shelter, food and charity. This was undoubtedly affected after the dissolution of the monasteries, as all their monastic money and aid as stopped. Government legislation occurred in a more reactive than a pro-active manner. It was said that the government suppressed the vagrant more than the poor and done very little until the late 16th century in relieving both poverty and vagrancy. .
             The most successful attack on the problem of urban poverty was undoubtedly that carried out by the city of Norwich. Norwich, like any other city at the time, had to deal with itinerant beggars, but these were duly whipped and given a passport to return to their place of origin, and the city's fairly rigorous settlement regulations normally prevented such people remaining in the town. The main factor that Norwich emphasised was that they distinguished between the Norwich poor and strangers. Vagrants who were not from the city were immediately returned to their parish of origin. Provision was made for all categories of poor, even to the extent of finding work for the able bodied. It was recognized that the native poor was a prospectively dangerous element, particularly in times of distress, as proved by their participation in Ket's Rebellion; but the authorities counteracted this danger by enforcing compulsory contributions for the relief of the poor in 1549 – apparently the first provincial town to do so.


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