Vagabonds and Beggars Act 1495
Encyclopedia
The Vagabonds and Beggars Act 1495 was an Act of Parliament passed during the reign of Henry VII
. The Act stated that: "Vagabonds, idle and suspected persons shall be set in the stocks
for three days and three nights and have none other sustenance but bread and water and then shall be put out of Town."
Henry VII of England
Henry VII was King of England and Lord of Ireland from his seizing the crown on 22 August 1485 until his death on 21 April 1509, as the first monarch of the House of Tudor....
. The Act stated that: "Vagabonds, idle and suspected persons shall be set in the stocks
Stocks
Stocks are devices used in the medieval and colonial American times as a form of physical punishment involving public humiliation. The stocks partially immobilized its victims and they were often exposed in a public place such as the site of a market to the scorn of those who passed by...
for three days and three nights and have none other sustenance but bread and water and then shall be put out of Town."