United Kingdom legislation
| Act of Parliament | |
 Parliament of England | |
| Long title | An Act directing how aged, poor, and impotent Persons, compelled to live by Alms, shall be ordered; and how Vagabonds and Beggars shall be punished. |
|---|---|
| Citation | 22 Hen. 8. c. 12 |
| Territorial extent | Kingdom of England |
| Dates | |
| Royal assent | 31 March 1531 |
| Other legislation | |
| Repealed by | Continuance of Laws, etc. Act 1623 |
| Status: Repealed | |
| Text of statute as originally enacted | |
The Vagabonds Act 1530 (22 Hen. 8. c. 12) was an act passed under Henry VIII and is a part of the Tudor Poor Laws of England. In full, it was entitled "An Act directing how aged, poor and impotent Persons, compelled to live by Alms, shall be ordered; and how Vagabonds and Beggars shall be punished."
Under this act, vagabonds were subject to the harsher punishment of whipping, rather than the stocks. However, it also created provisions for those who were unable to work due to sickness, age, or disability. These "impotent" beggars could become licensed to beg by their local Justices of the Peace. For this reason, this statute is recognised as the first English poor law to be at least partially aimed at providing relief, rather than punishing vagrancy, because it made the Justices of the Peace responsible for the licensed poor within their district.
References
- Moore, Amanda (31 May 2012). "Punishment of Beggars and Vagabonds 1531". Intriguing History. Retrieved 9 February 2021.
- Sidney & Beatrice Webb, English Local Government: English Poor Law History Part 1, p. 45
| Poor laws of the British Isles | ||
|---|---|---|
| Poor laws by territory |  Nantwich workhouse | |
| Old Poor Law | ||
| Relief systems | ||
| New Poor Law | ||
| Changes after 1834 | ||
| Decline and abolition | ||
| Other | ||