Poor Act 1575

The Poor Act 1575 (18 Eliz. 1. c. 3) was an act of the Parliament of England under Queen Elizabeth I. It was a part of the Tudor Poor Laws and a predecessor to the Elizabethan Poor Laws.

Poor Act 1575

Act of Parliament
Parliament of England
Long title	An Act for the setting of Poor on Work, and for the avoiding of Idleness.
Citation	18 Eliz. 1. c. 3
Territorial extent	England and Wales
Dates
Royal assent	15 March 1576
Commencement	8 February 1576[a]
Repealed	28 July 1863
Other legislation
Amends	Vagabonds Act 1572
Amended by	Continuance, etc. of Laws Act 1584 Continuance, etc. of Laws Act 1586 Continuance, etc. of Laws Act 1588 Continuance, etc. of Laws Act 1592 Continuance, etc. of Laws Act 1597 Continuance, etc. of Laws Act 1601 Continuance, etc. of Laws Act 1623
Repealed by	Statute Law Revision Act 1863
Relates to	Vagabonds Act 1572 Vagabonds Act 1597
Status: Repealed
Text of statute as originally enacted

The act required parishes to create “a competent stock of wool, hemp, flax, iron and other stuff” for the poor to work on. It also created houses of correction where recalcitrant or careless workers could be forced to work and punished accordingly.^[1]

The act built substantially on the Vagabonds Act 1572 (14 Eliz. 1. c. 5),^[2] and combined, they formed the basis for the subsequent Elizabethan Poor Laws.^[3]

Subsequent developments

The act was continued until the end of the next session of parliament by the Continuance, etc. of Laws Act 1584 (27 Eliz. 1. c. 11), the Continuance, etc. of Laws Act 1586 (29 Eliz. 1. c. 5), the Continuance, etc. of Laws Act 1588 (31 Eliz. 1. c. 10), the Continuance, etc. of Laws Act 1592 (35 Eliz. 1. c. 7), the Continuance, etc. of Laws Act 1597 (39 Eliz. 1. c. 18), the Continuance, etc. of Laws Act 1601 (43 Eliz. 1. c. 9) and the Continuance, etc. of Laws Act 1623 (21 Jas. 1. c. 28).

The act was amended by the Continuance, etc. of Laws Act 1592 (35 Eliz. 1. c. 7) to allow land to be given to the use of the poor.

So much of the act "as concerneth bailiffs begotten out of lawful matrimony" was continued until the end of the next session of parliament by the Continuance, etc. of Laws Act 1601 (43 Eliz. 1. c. 9).

Notes

1. Start of session.