A Chronology of State Medicine, Public Health, Welfare and Related ...

1530 - 1536
1530-40 Suppression of the monasteries. Until this time the almshouses and hospitals of the
Church dispensed charity to those who could not benefit from the help given by the craft
guilds to their sick or aged members. When the State was forced to intervene, the parishes
under the supervision of the justices of peace (in turn under the surveillance of the Privy
Council) were made the agencies for the collection of voluntary (at first) alms and their
distribution. Later, London levied the first compulsory poor rate and organised a system for
poor relief through four institutions - Christ's Hospital for children (1552), St Bartholomew's
and St Thomas' Hospitals for the sick and Bridewell for the able-bodied destitute (1553).
Other cities developed their own local schemes.
Poor Law Act (22 Hen.VIII, c.12) directed "how aged, poor, and impotent Persons,
compelled to live by Alms, shall be ordered, and how Vagabonds and Beggars shall be
punished". The former were to be licensed to beg (see 1531), the latter if found begging were
to be whipped or put in the stocks for three days and nights with bread and water only and
then to return to their birth-place and put to labour. See 1531, 1535 and 1579.
The Maintenance and Repair of Bridges and Highways Act (22 Hen.VIII, c.5). This
was followed by acts authorising the raising of rates for bridges, and later for gaols.
First edition of "Myrour or Glasse of Helthe" by Thomas Moulton (a Dominican
monk, dates unknown); this was the first book on medicine for laymen; it went through at
least 17 editions during the next 50 years. See 1536.
1531 Justices of the peace were ordered to issue a licence to beg to the infirm poor, thus
making begging by the sturdy an offence. See 1535 and 1547.
1532 Bills of Mortality introduced in London and some other towns. See 1632.
1532/3 Act (24 Hen.VIII, c.10) authorised the raising of a rate for the destruction of vermin.
Another Act provided for the appointment of Commissioners of Sewers with powers
to tax and distrain, and to inspect and construct sewers. See 1571.
1534 Act of Supremacy (26 Hen.VIII, c.1) made the King supreme head of the Church of
England with authority to reform and redress all errors, heresies and abuses in it. See 1559.
1535 (Poor Law) Act (27 Hen.VIII, c.25) required that "all Governors of Shires, Cities,
Towns, Hundreds, Hamlets and Parishes shall find and keep every aged, poor and impotent
Person, which was born or dwelt three years within the same Limit, by way of voluntary and
charitable Alms ... for as none of them shall be compelled to go openly in begging. And also
shall compel every sturdy Vagabond to be kept in continual labour ... " and gave powers to
apprentice children aged between 5 and 13. Voluntary contributions for the relief of the poor
were to be collected by the justices of the peace and churchwardens. See 1547 and 1552.
Royal Injunctions made important changes in the universities. The study of canon law
was suppressed and of classical Greek, Latin and Hebrew, and mathematics and medicine
encouraged.
1536 Wales was formally united with England, and administration through shires with
sheriffs and justices of the peace introduced. See 1978.
Act for the Dissolution of the Lesser Houses (27 Hen.VIII, c.28) (i.e. monasteries).