In the annals of history, peculiar laws are often found, shedding light on the societal norms and governance of bygone eras. One such oddity is the Vagrancy Act of 1547, a draconian decree that sent shockwaves through the populace of Tudor England. This law, implemented during the reign of King Edward VI, imposed harsh punishment on those unfortunate enough to be unemployed.
Branded and Sold: Unemployment’s Grim Consequence
By the 1540s, England was facing widespread unemployment – while population was on the rise, employment opportunities were not. The combination of bad harvests, inflation and social changes, including the practices of ‘engrossing’ (amalgamating farms) and ‘enclosure’ (fencing off land), exacerbated poverty and homelessness, while the dissolution of monasteries under Henry VIII removed the only system of poor relief available at the time. Escalating vagrancy and crime fueled the ruling classes’ fear of impending social unrest.
The result was the introduction of the Vagrancy Act of 1547, a.k.a. the Vagabonds Act, which aimed to tackle the issue head on. It dictated that any able-bodied person who found themselves unemployed for more than three days and who refused work faced a dire fate; they could be branded with a “V” and held in slavery for two years. During this time, they were to be fed only bread and water. Any attempts to escape were met with harsh punishment.
The plight of vagabond children was even more alarming, for without parental consent, anyone could claim…
