rest of the events of those years of scarcity from 1594 to 15971.

As a rule in the reign of Elizabeth the object of these scarcity measures was not so much to sell to the poor under price, as to arrange by organisation that the supply of corn should be equally distributed over the whole year, and that consequently the price of corn should be more even for everybody. It was rather to prevent monopoly than to organise doles. It was undertaken chiefly in the interests of the poor because a lack in the supply of corn affected them most; it did not only mean hardship, it meant starvation. It was undertaken by the Privy Council partly with the desire of repressing disorder, because insurrections and scarcity usually occurred together, and it was the object of the Government to keep the people in their "obedience"." But already the changed feeling of Parliament is found also in the Privy Council: measures of organised relief were seen to be the most effectual method of repression, and the closer study of the subject resulted in greater care for the poor.

These general measures for the repression of vagrants and the supply of corn are not only important to our subject because they directly concern the relief of the poor; they are even more important on account of their indirect connection theréwith. In the first place these measures brought the authorities both of the nation and of the country into contact with the poor, and they were thus led to devise more extensive measures for bettering the condition of their needy neighbours; it became more and more a habit with them to regard matters concerning the poor as a department of Government.

In the second place, by means of these measures dealing with corn and vagrants the organisation was prepared which was afterwards used for the administration of the relief of the

1 See Chapter VII.

2 In Devonshire the justices say there is not so much corn as they could wish, but they think there will be "no greate inconvenience or disorder." Vol. 189, 51. In Bedfordshire the report states no "manner of person poore or riche founde anye falte for wante," nor did they "move or attempte anye manner of disorder or strive for the same or for any other cause, but were and remayne in verie good and dutyfull obedience, god be thanked." Vol. 191, 6.

poor. The letters of the Privy Council to the justices, the allotment of the justices to their different divisions, the supervision of the judges, and the reports to the Privy Council were all utilised by the system established under Charles I.

If this later system had been administered by a body of officials untrained in the same kind of work, and unused to these methods of administration, it would have had little chance of being well administered. Such degree of success as was attained must have been at least partially due to the fact that the measures for the punishment of vagabonds and for the provision of grain preceded the more detailed orders for the relief of the poor. The new orders were thus executed by county and municipal officials trained to similar duties and used to like methods of administration, and it was in this way that the Elizabethan measures of scarcity have an important influence on the growth of the English administration of the Poor Law,

But sometimes the measures of the Privy Council were not general pressure was placed only on particular local officials. We will first examine a few cases

8. The influence of the Privy Council upon the Corporation of London.

of this kind concerning the City of London. We have already seen that in 1569 there were two sharp letters of the Privy Council to the Lord Mayor censuring him for his neglect in matters concerning the vagrants and poor'. In 1573 the Lord Mayor refers again to the displeasure of the Council and had apparently received a similar letter. In this way therefore the Privy Council censured neglect and commanded local officials to remedy the abuses of their administration.

Sometimes we see the authorities of London asking the advice of the Council with regard to the measures that they have themselves prepared. Orders for the poor were drawn up in 1579 and again in 1594, and in both cases the Lords of the Privy Council were consulted3. The Lords of the Council

1 See Chapter IV.

"This daye the residue of the

2 Journals, Vol. xx. 1 f. 42, March 14, 157. 3 Journals, 14 May, 1579, xx. No. 2, f. 483. Booke devised for the settinge of the poore on worke in Bridewell was redd to

also call attention to particular difficulties. In 1583 they recommend special measures to prevent the increase of Irish beggars', and they repeatedly write to order increased vigilance in enforcing the regulations against small houses and tenements which have been newly erected. Special matters are sometimes arranged by them; in 1594 the City rulers are told to meet the justices of Middlesex in order that they may take joint action to repress vagrants. Even details come under the notice of the members of the Privy Council, and in 1596 they directed the Lord Mayor to see that the corn in a particular ship was sold to the poor and not bought up by dealers*.

The Council thus was apparently very well informed as to the condition of affairs and had power to interfere with effect even in matters of detail whenever the rulers of London were inclined to be slothful.

9. The pressure exercised by the Privy Council on other local authorities.

We have not the same detailed information with regard to other towns, but we can see that this kind of action on the part of the Lords of the Council was by no means confined to London. We find them writing to Burghley himself and insisting on the appointment of Provost Marshals in Hertfordshire and Essex who were to take especial care to repress vagrants and idle persons; they rebuke the Devonshire justices for not providing properly for old soldiers and sailors. They write to Cambridge and order that care be taken to prevent the increase in the number of tenements in the town',

the Comon Counsell."...It was agreed "that it shabe, as it is preferred to the consideracon of the lordes of your maty pryvie Counsell by the whole concent of this Court of Comon Counsell and that Sir Rowlande Haywarde, Sir James Hawes, Mr Alderman Woodcross, etc. shall travell in preferringe the same booke to the lordes of the Counsell." 17 Nov. 1594, Remembrancia, 11. 74.

5 Cal. of State Papers, March 17, 1590.

6 Quarter Sessions under Queen Eliz., A. Hamilton, p. 19.

7 The Privy Council write that they "are given to understand that divers of the inhabitants of the Town of Cambridge seeking their own private gain with the public hurt and incommodity of the whole University and Town have

and they especially commend the Norfolk justices for erecting a "fourme for the punishment of loyterers, stubborne servantes, and the settinge of vagabondes, roages and other idle people to work, after the manner of Bridewell1".

There is enough to show that the Privy Council was often active and that its interference had a considerable effect, but that before 1597 this interference was only occasionally exercised.

This pressure exerted by the Privy Council on justices and municipal authorities becomes the most important factor in the development of the English system of poor relief in the next century. Law was not yet enforced merely because it had been enacted, and in regard to the poor no force of continued habit as yet made public opinion compel negligent officials to do their duty. So far men objected to pay rates; they were not firmly convinced of the duty of the state to relieve the poor.

The pressure of the Privy Council was therefore necessary to enforce the law. But the habit of interference in these matters and the organisation that alone could make interference have much effect grew very slowly. Before 1597 we can see this habit of interference and this organisation growing, but as yet it is only utilised occasionally and to meet some special emergency; it is not part of a general system which almost everywhere commanded obedience.

heretofore accustomed to build and erect houses upon sundry spare grounds in and about the said Town; but of late and at this present especially they do not only increase and continue the same but do more usually divide one house into many small tenements and those for the most part do let and hire out to the meanest and poorest persons, which tenements...are a means...as we are informed whereby the University and Town are overburthened in yearly allow. ance towards the maintenance of the poor." The Mayor and Vice-chancellor therefore with the assistance of the "best and discretest persons and officers of the University and Town are to cause inquiry to be made as to how many tenements there are and as to how many people inhabit them, and are also to find out if the tenements had been built or divided within ten years. They were then to take measures to alter as many tenements and to remove as many of the inmates as they should deem expedient. The letter is dated June 8th, 1584, and is signed by Burghley, Walsingham, and several other members of the Privy Council. Cooper, Annals of Cambridge, Vol. 11. p. 398.

1 Cal. of State Papers, Vol. 133, No. 56.

CHAPTER VII.

1569-1597.

LOCAL ORGANISATION OF POOR RELIEF AND THE EVENTS OF THE YEARS 1594-1597.

1. The organisation of London with regard to the poor.

2. The organisation of Norwich.

3. The action of other towns,

(1) Concerning the settlement of new-comers.

(2) Concerning the unemployed.

(3) Concerning the raising of funds.

4. The events of the years of scarcity 1594-1597. 5. Summary of the period 1569-1597.

Improvement in the organisation for the relief of the poor during the period from 1569 to 1597 is found in the local as well as in the central government. We will now look at the local side of the question. It is possible to obtain a fair idea of the kind of action adopted by the rulers of shire and borough by examining first the measures of London and Norwich in detail, and secondly some examples of the methods of other towns and counties.

I.

We have considered the action of the Privy Council with regard to questions affecting the poor in London, but we have not as yet looked at the measures themselves.

Some of these were designed to carry into of 1572 which we have seen was the first

The organisation of London with regard to the poor.

effect the Act law that gave

statutory authority for compulsory assessment for the relief of the poor. In Sept. 1572 the Mayor issued a precept to the aldermen which commanded each in his ward to see that the constables and other "sad and discrete personnes" made certain

1 Journals of the Common Council of London, Vol. xx. No. 1, f. 15 b.