| Act of Parliament | |
 | |
| Long title | An Act for the Provision and Relief of the Poor. |
|---|---|
| Citation | 5 & 6 Edw. 6. c. 2 |
| Dates | |
| Royal assent | 15 April 1552 |
| Repealed | 28 July 1863 |
| Other legislation | |
| Repealed by | Statute Law Revision Act 1863 |
Status: Repealed | |
The Act for the Provision and Relief of the Poor was a statute passed by the Parliament of England during the reign of King Edward VI. It is a part of the Tudor Poor Laws and reaffirms previous poor laws enacted in 1536, 1547, and 1549 which focused primarily on the punishment of vagabonds.[1] The Poor Act 1551 designated a new position, "collector of alms," in each parish. Local authorities and residents elected two alms collectors to request, record, and distribute charitable donations for poor relief. It further provided that each parish would keep a register of all its “impotent, aged, and needy persons” and the aid they received. Parish authorities were directed to “gently exhort” any person that could contribute but would not, referring them to the Bishop of the Diocese if they continued to refuse. Punishment for neglecting poor relief obligations was adopted in 1563 and reliance on charity was replaced by a system of taxation in 1597.[2] Under the assumption that all poor would be cared for, begging openly was now forbidden.[3] Licensed begging would be reinstated by the Marian Parliament of 1555 with the requirement that legal beggars wear badges.[4]
- ^ 5&6 Edw. VI c. 2; Beier, A.L. (1983). The Problem of the Poor in Tudor and Early Stuart England. London: Methuen & Co Ltd. p. 39-40.; Elton, G.R. (1953). "An Early Tudor Poor Law". The Economic History Review. 6 (1): 55–67. doi:10.1111/j.1468-0289.1953.tb01486.x.
- ^ Beier 1983, p. 41; Slack, Paul (1990). The English Poor Law 1531-1782. Macmillan Press Ltd. p. 10.
- ^ 5&6 Edw. VI c. 2; Slack 1990, p. 59-60; Beier 1983, p. 40
- ^ Rushton, Neil (2001). "Monastic Charitable Provision in Tudor England: Quantifying and Qualifying Poor Relief in the Early Sixteenth Century". Continuity and Change. 16 (1): 9–44. doi:10.1017/s0268416001003708.; Hindle, Steve (2004). "Dependency, Shame and Belonging: Badging the Deserving Poor, c.1550-1750". Cultural and Social History. 1 (1): 6–35.