Part VII

), and a report on the papers of the Marquis of Lothian (pp.

76-80).

(2) Reference to questions of pauperism and prices will be found in contemporary literary authorities set out under section I, in

## particular in the works of More, Crowley, Lever, Stubbes, Harrison,

Bacon and Moore, and in the Commonwealth of this realm of England. Awdeley, Fraternity of Vagabonds (1561, Early English Text Society), gives an amusing account of the habits of vagrants.

1. REGULATIONS MADE AT CHESTER AS TO BEGGARS [_Morris. Chester in the Plantagenet and Tudor Reigns, pp. 355, 356_], 1539.

Henry Gee, Mayor, 31 Henry VIII. [1539]. Forasmuch as by reason of the great number of multitude of valiant idle persons and vagabonds which be strong and able to serve and labour for their livings, and yet daily go on begging within the same city, so that the poor impotent and indigent people and inhabiting within the same city and having no other means to get their living but only by the charitable alms of good Christian people daily want and be destitute of the same, to the great displeasure of Almighty God and contrary to good conscience and the wholesome statute and laws of our sovereign Lord the King in such case made and provided; for reformation whereof it is ordained and established by the said city ... that the number and names of all indigent and needy mendicant people shall be searched, known and written, and thereupon divided in xv parts, and every of them assigned to what ward they shall resort and beg within the said city, and in no other place within the same, and their names to be written in a bill and set up in every man's house within every ward for knowledge to whom they shall give their alms and to no other. And if any other person or persons come to any man or woman's door, house or person to beg, not having his name in the bill within that man's or woman's houses, then the same man or woman to give unto the same beggar no manner alms or relief but rather to bring or send him to the stocks within the same ward, or else to deliver him to the constable of the same ward or the alderman's deputy within the same ward, and he to put him in the stocks, there to remain by the space of a day and a night; and yet, every man and woman that shall offend in using themselves contrary to this ordinance concerning such valiant beggars shall for every such offence forfeit xiid., to be levied to the use of the common box by the commandment of the alderman of the same ward, and for default of payment thereof the same man or woman so offending to be committed to the ward by the mayor till it be paid.

And if any of the indigent and poor needy beggars [beg] at any time in any other place within this city out of the ward to them assigned as is aforesaid, then the same beggar so offending to be punished by the mayor's discretion. And further it is ordered that all manner of idle persons, being able to labour abiding within the said city and not admitted to live by alms within the said city, shall every workday in the morning in the time of winter at vi of the clock, and in time of summer at iiii of the clock, resort and come unto the high cross of the said city, and there to offer themselves to be hired to labour for their living according to the king's laws and his statutes provided for labourers; and if any person or persons do refuse so to do, then he or they so refusing to be committed to ward by the mayor of the said city for the time being, there to remain unto such time he or they so refusing hath found sufficient sureties to be bound by recognisance before the said mayor in a certain sum, so to [do] accordingly to the King's laws and statutes aforesaid.

2. A PROCLAMATION ... CONCERNING CORN AND GRAIN TO BE CONVEYED AND BROUGHT INTO OPEN MARKETS TO BE SOLD [_Br. M. Harleian MSS. 442, fo._ 211][296], 1545.

Forasmuch as it is come to the knowledge of our Sovereign Lord the King, how that divers persons, as well his own subjects as others, having more respect to their own private lucre and advantage than to the common weal of this his Highness's realm, have by divers and sundry means accumulated and got into their hands and possession a great number and multitude of corn and grain, far above the necessary finding of their households, sowing of their lands, paying their rent-corn and performing of their lawful bargains of corn without fraud or intrigue; and the same of their covetous minds do wilfully detain and keep in their possessions without bringing any part or parcel thereof into any market to be sold, intending thereby for to cause the prices of corn to rise, so that they may sell their corn and grain at such unreasonable prices as they will themselves; by reason whereof the prices of corn and grains ... be raised to such excessive and high prices, that his Majesty's loving subjects cannot gain with their great labours and pains sufficient to pay for their convenient victuals and sustenance, and worse are like to be hereafter, unless speedy remedy be provided in that behalf; his Highness, therefore, by the advice of his said most honourable council, and by authority of the said act of parliament made in the said 31st year of his Majesty's reign, straightly chargeth and commandeth all justices of peace ... within 20 days next ensuing the publishing of this proclamation according to the said act, and oftener after that by their discretions, to assemble themselves together ... and that the said justices ... or two of them at the least, shall with all convenient speed search the houses, barns and yards of such persons as have been accustomed or used to sell corn and grain, and have abundance of corn and grain more than shall be necessary for the sowing of their lands, paying their rent-corn, performing their said lawful bargains of corn, and finding of their houses until the feast of All Saints next coming; and where they shall find any such abundance or surplus, shall by their discretions straightly ... command in the name of our said sovereign lord the king the owner or owners thereof to convey and bring or cause to be brought such part and portion of their said corn and grain unto the market or markets there near adjoining, or to have such other market or markets, where they afore time have used or accustomed to sell their corn there to be sold at, and during such time as shall be thought meet by the said justices of the peace or two of them at the least; the same justices delivering unto every of the said owner and owners a bill subscribed with their hands, mentioning and declaring the days, places, number and certainty of the bringing of the said corn and grain to the said market and markets to be sold, as is aforesaid, according to their said commandments and appointments; and if any person or persons do wilfully refuse to convey or bring or cause to be brought unto the said market or markets to be sold such part or portion of any such corn and grain as by the said justices or two of them at the least, shall be to him and them limited and appointed as is aforesaid, that then every such person and persons so offending shall lose and forfeit for every bushel ... 3s. and 4d. ... This proclamation to continue and endure until the feast of All Saints next coming and no longer....

[Footnote 296: Quoted Schanz, _op. cit._, Vol. II, pp. 669-671.]

3. ADMINISTRATION OF POOR RELIEF AT NORWICH [_Leonard, Early History of English Poor Relief, pp. 311-314_], 1571.

[It is ordered] 1. First, that no person or persons old or young shall be suffered to go abroad after a general warning given, or be found a-begging in the streets at the sermon or at any man's door or at any place within the city, in pain of six stripes with a whip.

2. That not any person or persons shall sustain or feed any such beggars at their doors, in pain of such fine as is appointed by statute, and further to pay for every time fourpence, to be collected by the deacons, and to go to the use of the poor of the said City.

3. Item that at the house called the Normans in the convenientest place therefore, shall be appointed a working place, as well for men as for women, viz. for the men to be prepared fourteen malt querns to grind malt and such exercises; and for the women to spin and card and such like exercises.

Which working place shall contain to set twelve persons or more upon work, which persons shall be kept as prisoners to work for meat and drink for the space of twenty and one days at the least, and longer if cause serve, and they shall not eat but as they can earn (except some friend will be bound for them), that the city shall no more be troubled with them; with this proviso that such persons as shall be thither committed shall be such as be able to work and daily notwithstanding will not work but rather beg, or be without master or husband, or else be vagabonds or loiterers.

Which persons shall begin their works at five of the clock in summer, viz. from our Lady the Annunciation until Michelmas, and shall end their works at eight of the clock at night, and in Winter to begin at six of the clock from Michelmas to our Lady, and to end at seven of the clock at night or half an hour past, with the allowance of one half hour or more to eat and a quarter of an hour to spend in prayer.

And every one sent thither shall be by warrant from the mayor or his deputy or deputies to the bailiff there, upon which warrant the bailiff shall be bound to receive everyone so sent and set them a-work.

And those that shall refuse to do their works to them appointed or keep their hours, to be punished by the whip at the discretion of the wardens or bailiff of the house.

* * * * *

For the bailiff of Bridewell.

Item, upon the said authority be also appointed another officer, to be called the bailiff of Bridewell, who is also to be resident there with his wife and family, who shall take the charge by inventory from the wardens of all bedding and other utensils delivered unto him to the use of the workfolks, who shall yearly account with the wardens for the same.

And also shall take charge of such vagabonds, men and women, as to them shall be committed, enforcing them to work by the hours aforesaid. The men to grind malt and other works, and the women to use their hand-deed and, except that they work, not to eat.

And to take of them for their victual, and fuel, or other necessaries as the price shall be rated and there set up. And to allow them for their work by the pound (or otherwise) as shall be rated and set up, and shall use such correction as is aforesaid.

And also shall receive all stuff thither brought and see the same truly and well used and safely delivered.

And he to provide him of such servants as in his absence or his wife's shall see the works done as it ought to be, and to do the house business, as washing, making of beds, baking and also to be expert in hand-deed to spin, card, etc.

And also to provide one officer surveyor, to go daily about the city, with a staff in his hand, to arrest whom that is apt for Bridewell and bring them to master mayor or to any of the committees be commanded thither.

And as he goeth abroad he shall certify how the works in every ward are ordered and occupied, and shall inform master mayor, the committees or his master thereof.

And he shall resort to the deacons in every ward, and be aiding unto them to bring such as be new comers into the city to master mayor, the same presently to be sent away again to the place they came from. And likewise shall bring all disordered persons to be punished to Bridewell if such shall dwell in any ward, and shall give his whole attendance thereupon.

And the said bailiff shall be allowed for himself, his wife, servants and surveyors, (if he shall be charged with his whole number of prisoners,) for meat, drink and wages thirty pounds by year, whereof he shall pay forty shillings a year to a priest to minister service to them twice a week, or else, if he have less charge, to have after the rate as by the discretion of the committees and wardens of Bridewell shall be thought convenient or as they can agree....

* * * * *

Orders for children and others in wards.

Item, that there be also appointed by the committees or commissioners for every single ward so many select women as shall suffice to receive of persons within that ward, viz. of women, maidens or children that shall be appointed unto them by the committees or deacons, to work or learn letters in their house or houses, of the most poorest children whose parents are not able to pay for their learning or of women and maids that live idly or be disordered to the number of six, eight, ten or twelve at the most in any one of their houses.

The same to be driven to work and learn, by the hours appointed in Bridewell and with such corrections, till their hands be brought into such use and their bodies to such pains as labour and learning shall be easier to them than idleness, and as they shall of themselves be able to live of their own works with their families as others do.

And every such select woman appointed to take charge of such aforesaid, shall see that such as to them be committed shall do their works truly and workmanly and be learned profitably, or else to lay sharp correction upon them; and every such select woman doing her duty to teach or cause to be taught or set a-work, to have for her pains in that behalf twenty shillings by year every one of them so appointed and nominated.

And whosoever select woman so appointed shall refuse the same being thereunto appointed, shall suffer imprisonment by the space of twenty days at the least.

4. THE FIRST ACT DIRECTING THE LEVY OF A COMPULSORY POOR RATE [_14 Eliz. c._ 5. _Statutes of the Realm, Vol. IV,