Vagabondage

What was vagabondage?

Vagabondage was an important new crime in the 1500s - that of being homeless, poor and unemployed.

Who were vagabonds?

There were 4 different types of vagabonds.

• ❖ Vagabonds were beggars, tramps and vagrants who wandered the country without a settled job.
• ❖ Some vagabonds were soldiers who had been demobilised.
• ❖ Most were poor and unemployed people moving to a new town or village looking for work.
• ❖ Some vagabonds exhibited criminal behaviour, but not all.

Why were people worried about vagabonds?

There were several reasons why people worried about vagabonds:

• ❖ During the 1500s, concern over vagabonds increased.
• ❖ Most people did not object to helping the genuine poor, such as those who could not work because they were old or sick.
• ❖ However, people felt that idleness, or laziness, was wrong. Puritan religion taught that everyone should work hard to avoid acts of sin.
• ❖ Vagabonds were blamed for many crimes such as thefts, assaults and murders.
• ❖ Many people were worried about the cost. Each village and town raised poor-rates to help the genuine poor of their own parish. Local people did not want to spend their money supporting the poor or idle from another parish.
• ❖ Pamphlets and books warned about the dangers of vagabonds. These were widely read and as popular as detective novels are today.
• ❖ Vagabonds travelled from area to area, but people were naturally suspicious of strangers to their parish (local area).