At a time when the question of "What is to be done with our vagrant
children?" is occupying the attention of all men of philanthropic minds, it
may be worth while to give place in your pages to the following order
addressed by the Lord Mayor of London to his aldermen in 1650-51, which
applies, amongst other things, to that very subject. It will be seen that
some of the artifices of beggary in that day were very similar to those
with which we are now but too familiar. The difference of treatment between
vagrant children over and under nine years of age, is worthy of
observation.
"BY THE MAYOR.
"Forasmuch as of late the constables of this city have neglected to put
in execution the severall wholsome laws for punishing of vagrants, and
passing them to the places of their last abode, whereby great scandall
and dishonour is brought upon the government of this city; These are
therefore to will and require you, or your deputy, forthwith to call
before you the several constables within your ward, and strictly to
charge them to put in execution the said laws, or to expect the penalty
of forty shillings to be levyed upon their estates, for every vagrant
that shal be found begging in their several precincts. And to the end
the said constables may not pretend ignorance, what to do with the
several persons which they shal find offending the said laws, these are
further to require them, that al aged or impotent persons who are not
fit to work, be passed from constable to constable to the parish where
they dwel; and that the constable in whose ward they are found begging,
shal give a passe under his hand, expressing the place where he or she
were taken, and the place whither they are to be passed. _And for
children under five years of age, who have no dwelling, or cannot give
an account of their parents, the parish where they are found are to
provide for them; and for those which shall bee found lying under
stalls, having no habitation or parents (from five to nine years old),
are to be sent to the Wardrobe House_[2], _to be provided for by the
corporation for the poore; and all above nine years of age are to be
sent to Bridewel._ And for men or women who are able to work and goe
begging with young children, such persons for the first time to be
passed to the place of their abode as aforesaid; and being taken
againe, they are to be carryed to Bridewel, to be corrected according
to the discretion of the governours. _And for those persons that shal
be found to hire children, or go begging with children not sucking,
those children are to be sent to the several parishes wher they dwel,
and the persons so hiring them to Bridewel, to be corrected and passed
away, or kept at work there, according to the governour's discretion._
And for al other vagrants and beggars under any pretence whatsoever, to
be forthwith sent down to Bridewel to be imployed and corrected,
according to the statute laws of this commonwealth, except before
excepted; and the president and governours of Bridewel are hereby
desired to meet twice every week to see to the execution of this
Precept. _And the steward of the workehouse called the Wardrobe, is {7}
authorised to receive into that house such children as are of the age
between five and nine, as is before specified and limited_; and the
said steward is from time to time to acquaint the corporation for the
poor, what persons are brought in, to the end they may bee provided
for. Dated this four and twentyeth day of January, 1650.