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Vagabonds Act 1572

Act of Parliament
Parliament of England
Long title	An Act for the Punishment of Vagabonds, and for the Relief of the Poor and Impotent.
Citation	14 Eliz. 1. c. 5
Dates
Royal assent	30 June 1572
Repealed	28 July 1863
Other legislation
Repeals/revokes	Poor Act 1562
Repealed by	Statute Law Revision Act 1863
Status: Repealed

The Vagabonds Act 1572 or the Vagabonds, etc. Act 1572 (14 Eliz. 1. c. 5) was a law passed in England under Queen Elizabeth I. It is a part of the Tudor Poor Laws and a predecessor to the Elizabethan Poor Laws.

The 1572 act provided that justices of the peace were to register the names of the "aged, decayed, and impotent" poor to determine how much money was required to care for them. The justices of the peace would then assess all inhabitants of the parish for their keep. Overseers of the poor would periodically conduct "views and searches" of the poor. Those refusing to contribute to poor relief would be confined to the gaol.

Justices of the Peace were allowed to license beggars if there were too many for the parish to provide for. Any unlicensed vagabonds were to be whipped and burned through the ear. It further provided that any surplus funds could be used to “place and settle to work the rogues and vagabonds.”

Combined with the Poor Act 1575, the 1572 act formed the basis for the subsequent Elizabethan Poor Laws.

The act was an incentive for itinerant playing companies to find sponsors who could provide them with a permanent play house and thus avoid prosecution as vagabonds.

See also

• Vagabonds Act

Further reading

• Image of Original Act on the Parliamentary website

References

1. "Vagabonds, etc. Act 1572". vLex.
2. Sidney & Beatrice Webb, English Local Government: English Poor Law History Part 1, pg. 52
3. Paul Slack, The English Poor Law 1531-1782, p. 60
4. Paul Slack, The English Poor Law 1531-1782 18—19
5. Dobson, Michael; Wells, Stanley, eds. (2001). The Oxford Companion to Shakespeare. Oxford University Press. p. 257. ISBN 978-0198117353.

v t e Poor laws of the British Isles
Poor laws by territory	England and Wales Scotland Ireland Isle of Man	Nantwich workhouse
Old Poor Law	Vagabonds and Beggars Act 1494 Tudor poor laws Poor Relief Act 1597 Poor Relief Act 1601 Poor Relief Act 1662 Relief of the Poor Act 1696 Poor Relief Act 1722 Relief of the Poor Act 1782 House of correction Overseer of the poor Poor rate Poor relief Buttock mail
Relief systems	Outdoor relief Speenhamland Labour Rate Roundsman Committee for the Relief of the Black Poor
New Poor Law	Royal commission (1832) Poor Law Amendment Act 1834 Poor Law (Scotland) Act 1845 Less eligibility Workhouse Workhouse test Board of guardians Outdoor Labour Test Order Outdoor Relief Prohibitory Order Poor law unions Opposition Book of Murder Scottish poorhouse
Changes after 1834	Poor Law Commission Poor Law Board Local Government Board Andover workhouse scandal Huddersfield workhouse scandal Union Chargeability Act
Decline and abolition	Liberal welfare reforms Royal Commission (1905–09) Majority Report Minority Report Interwar poverty National Assistance Act 1948
Other	Christmas Day in the Workhouse Historiography of the Poor Laws Timeline of the English poor law system Poor Relief Act List of poor law unions in England List of poor law unions in Wales List of Irish poor law unions

• English Poor Laws
• Acts of the Parliament of England (1485–1603)
• 1572 in law
• 1572 in England