The misery and mendicity which prevailed in this country before the
provisions of the poor laws in the time of Elizabeth became duly enforced,
might be proved by the following extract from a curious old pamphlet,
which describes, in very forcible language, the poverty and idleness
which prevailed in one of the fairest and most fertile districts of the
kingdom, viz.--
The Golden Vale in Herefordshire, (being ye pride of al that country,)
being the richest yet (for want of employment) the plentifullest place of
poore in the kingdom--yielding two or three hundred folde; the number so
increasing (idleness having gotten the upper hand;) if trades bee not
raised--beggery will carry such reputation in my quarter of the country,
as if it had the whole to halves.
There bee, says this author, within a mile and a halfe from my house
every waye, five hundred poore habitations; whose greatest meanes consist
in spinning flaxe, hemp, and hurdes. They dispose the seasons of the
yeare in this manner; I will begin with May, June, and July, (three of
the merriest months for beggers,) which yield the best increase for their
purpose, to raise multitudes: whey, curdes, butter-milk, and such belly
provision, abounding in the neighbourhood, serves their turne. As wountes
or moles hunt after wormes, the ground being dewable, so these idelers
live intolerablie by other meanes, and neglect their painfull labours by
oppressing the neighbourhood. August, September, and October, with that
permission which the Lord hath allowed the poorer sorte to gather the
eares of corne, they do much harme. I have seen three hundred leazers or
gleaners in one gentleman's corn-field at once; his servants gathering
and stouking the bound sheaves, the sheaves lying on the ground like dead
carcases in an overthrown battell, they following the spoyle, not like
souldiers (which scorne to rifle) but like theeves desirous to steale; so
this army holdes pillaging, wheate, rye, barly, pease, and oates; oates,
a graine which never grew in Canaan, nor AEgypt, and altogether out of
the allowance of leazing.
Under colour of the last graine, oates, it being the latest harvest,
they doe (without mercy in hotte bloud) steale, robbe orchards, gardens,
hop-yards, and crab trees; so what with leazing and stealing, they doe
poorly maintaine themselves November, December, and almost all January,
with some healpes from the neighbourhood.
The last three moneths, February, March, and Aprill, little labour serves
their turne, they hope by the heat of the sunne, (seasoning themselves,
like snakes, under headges,) to recover the month of May with much
poverty, long fasting, and little praying; and so make an end of their
yeares travel in the Easter holy days.
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