Vagabonds Act 1536

Vagabonds Act 1536

Act of Parliament
Parliament of England
Long title	An Act for Punishment of sturdy Vagabonds and Beggars.
Citation	27 Hen. 8. c. 25
Territorial extent	England and Wales
Dates
Royal assent	14 April 1536
Commencement	4 February 1536 [a]
Repealed	28 July 1863
Other legislation
Repealed by	Statute Law Revision Act 1863
Status: Repealed
Text of statute as originally enacted

The Act for Punishment of Sturdy Vagabonds and Beggars (27 Hen. 8. c. 25) was an act of the Parliament of England passed in Tudor England by Henry VIII. It is part of the Tudor Poor Laws. It was the earliest English Poor Law to provide for structured collections for the poor.

The act provided that “sturdy” vagabonds should be set to work after being punished. ^[1] It also provided that local mayors, bailiffs, constables, and other officers were responsible for ensuring that the poor in their parish were cared for such that they need not beg. ^[2] Although they could not use municipal funds nor levy a compulsory tax on the parish to raise this money, they organized collections in a common box. ^[2] In addition, voluntary contributions to the poor other than through the common box were made illegal; the goal of this latter provision was to control discriminatory giving. ^[3]

Although this act lapsed later in 1536, its designation of the parish as the administrator of charitable giving lasted into future poor law reforms. ^[4]

Notes

1. Start of session.

References

1. Slack, Paul (1995). The English Poor Law 1531–1782. Economic History Society (1st Cambridge University Press ed.). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. ISBN   0-521-55785-2. OCLC   32465221.
2. Sidney & Beatrice Webb, English Local Government: English Poor Law History Part 1. The Old Poor Law 46 (1927)
3. Slack, Paul (1990). The English Poor Law 1531–1782. p. 17.
4. Slack, Paul (1990). The English Poor Law 1531–1782. p. 59.