L2a vagrancy

Starter: study this Tudor nursery rhyme

Discuss in pairs/groups: • • • •

What impression of beggars does this give?

Have you ever seen anyone begging in a large town or city?

What was your reaction to that person?

Why do you think some people beg?

 Key words:

vagabond / vagrancy (the crime of being homeless and unemployed) / sturdy beggars canting / House of Correction

Why was it a crime to be homeless in the 1500s?

LOs: • To describe different types of vagabonds & how they were punished • To assess why they were thought to be a problem

Activate: What do all these images have to do with ‘sturdy beggars’?

What was Vagrancy? (the homeless  YourVagrants task: read p.48-9 (Wilkes)and and note down these types of sturdy as beggars unemployed) were regarded lazy / and the differences between them, criminal in the 1500s-1700s.

They were including sketch: through the ear/with whipped,abranded –Bristler a ‘V’ and executed for a second –Counterfeitoffence.

Crank The –Clapper 1600 PoorDudgeon Law made a distinction –Baretop Trickster between: –Tom O’Bedlam • Sturdy beggars (fit but lazy) = •Which was the most dangerous to public whipped, returned to their parish order? and work in a house of correction •Use Impotent poorto (old/disabled) given SHP (p.73) complete the = Source poor relief. Investigation

Pit stop: what was Vagrancy? • Using what you have learnt, get into the character of one type of Sturdy beggar and create a pose. • Can your partner guess which beggar you are acting out?

Why was it a crime to be homeless in the 1500s?

• In the 1500s people became increasingly concerned about vagabonds (beggars) for the following reasons: 1. Idleness was considered a sin – especially by Puritans, many people were suspicious of outsiders asking for help especially if they appeared healthy and fit enough to work 2. Fear of crimes – beggars often blamed for other crimes, e.g. theft, assaults and murders 3. Cost – each village and town raised poor-rates to help the genuine poor of their own parish. People didn’t want to pay more taxes to support beggars from another parish.  Your task: • Read p.48 (Wilkes) and note down the reasons why there were so many beggars in Tudor England • Read p.50-1, including Source E and note down the different punishments for beggars at these times: 1495, 1531, 1547 & 1601

Plenary: Study this woodcut from 1536. Why were the Tudors so tough on this type of crime?  Are we more tolerant of begging today?

Homework Produce a public information leaflet / script for a film / video blog warning your community about the perils of sturdy beggars.

This should include: • References to at least 3 types of beggars • Explanations of why they are such a danger to society • Punishments typical of one particular time, e.g. 1547 or 1601 Try to include some ‘canting’ expressions from your own research •

In 1567 Thomas Harman wrote a best-selling book about vagabonds in Tudor England