What Was Life Like for Poor People in Tudor Times?

Tudor Beggars

In 1570 there were more than 10,000 homeless people wandering the roads, looking for work and begging.

Tudor Beggars

In 1547, a law was made ordering vagrants to be whipped and sent to their home towns.

Types of Poor People

There were many kinds of poor people.

People on the breadline The "deserving poor", e.g. the very young, the very old, and disabled people Sturdy rogues: vagrants and people who moved about looking for work.

Poor Families

Families would wander with their children begging for money or food.

Some parents would deliberately injure their children to get more money from the rich.

Tudor Punishments

If people were caught begging they would be punished.

• being chained to stocks • hanging • burning to death • whipping • dunking in a river • branding with a hot iron

Almshouses

Almshouses were sometimes built for the elderly and deserving poor.

The money for building and keeping the almshouses was provided by the rich.

How could you sum up the lives of poor people in Tudor times?

LI: To investigate the differences between the lives of rich and poor people in Tudor times

Talk Partner Challenge!

How would you know that a Tudor house belongs to a rich person?

What are the clues?

Talk Partner Challenge!

Rich people had a healthier diet than poor people. Do you agree or disagree with this statement and why?

Talk Partner Challenge!

Do you think poor people enjoyed leisure activities like hunting and archery?

Explain your answer with examples from what you know about Tudor people.