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SOCIETY - Coggle Diagram
SOCIETY
ELITES AND COMMONERS
NOBILITY
- Only promoted two non-royal ducal titles, Norfolk and Suffolk
- Gave nobles property to enable them to exert royal authority in certain areas.
- Brought more under control of the monarch
- Many nobles were accused of, or executed for, treason- Duke of Buckingham 1521. Lords Darcy and Hussey for involvement in POG 1536.
- There was a loss of old noble families
GENTRY :
- about 5000 gentry families in 1540
- Knighthoods were conferred as a sign of royal favour – there were about 200 knightly families in 1524
- JPs increased the number of gentry who participated in local administration
- The crowns administrators were increasingly laymen, formerly they had been likely to be clergymen
COMMONERS :
- Rise in inflation and the drop in real wages caused a dislike for the Amicable Grant
- Had very few possessions and little chance of regular and stable work.
- government was fearful of them - outbreaks of disorder were common
- little change in the commoner’s social structure
GENTLEMEN :
- There was a rank of new gentlemen. There was a growth in numbers of professional ( crown administrators and JPs) and commercial men (merchants, yeomen, artisans etc.) which led to increasing numbers of men calling themselves this
- New wealthy men often went against the customary rights of their local communities for profit and they were associated with greed and enclosure.
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SOCIAL REFORMS
- Passed Act for Continuing of Certain Liberties and Franchises (1536) which drastically limited the local anomalies.
- Prevented religious or feudal officials from interfering with sheriffs or JP's performing their legal duties within their jurisdictions.
- Cromwell made some effort in addressing socio-economic problems.
- In 1531 and 1532 acts were passed to fix the prices of certain foodstuffs at a reasonable level.
- Another act in 1533 attempted to create the machinery for determining fair food prices. Unfortunately this was nearly impossible to enforce and the act was eventually repealed in 1542
- Cromwell created what became known as the first Tudor Poor Law, The Vagabonds Act in 1531.
- From his own house alms (money, charity) and foodstuffs were distributed to the London poor.
- Sources suggest that up to 200 people came every day for the support Cromwell offered.
- In 1536, Cromwell strengthened the Act and made significant improvements. One of biggest changes was that Parishes now legally had to care for the poor.
FIRST TUDOR POOR LAW :
- In the Act a clear distinction is made between those who were unable to work and those deemed unwilling to work.
- The first group of people were given a licence to beg and the second group were punished in the usual manner.
- The JP’s were responsible for managing this.
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