Life and Society in Elizabethan England
Life and Society in Elizabethan England
Lesson duration is: 120 minItems in this lesson
Life and Society in Elizabethan England
Learning Objective
At the end of the lesson you will understand the social structure, causes of poverty, education, and leisure in Elizabethan society.
Social Structure Overview
Elizabethan society was highly structured and hierarchical. People believed this order was created by God and was known as the Great Chain of Being. Everyone had a fixed place in society, and it was believed that disrupting this order would cause chaos.
The Monarch and Nobility
The Queen (Elizabeth I) was at the top.
She ruled by Divine Right — people believed God had chosen her to rule.
She controlled the government, religion, and the army.
Loyalty to the monarch was expected at all times.
Nobility (Lords and Ladies)
Monarch
Wealthy landowners with titles (e.g. Earl, Duke).
Held important government jobs and advised the Queen in the Privy Council.
Responsible for maintaining order in their regions.
Lived in large houses and enjoyed luxury.
Role of the Monarch
Elizabeth I was at the very top of the Elizabethan social structure. People believed she ruled by Divine Right, meaning God had chosen her to be queen. This made loyalty to her both a political duty and a religious duty.
The Gentry
Wealthy but without noble titles.
Often owned land and served as Justices of the Peace (JPs).
Helped enforce laws locally and collected taxes.
Becoming more important as Elizabeth relied on them to govern counties.
Yeomen
Successful farmers who owned their own land.
Considered respectable and independent.
Could vote in elections for Members of Parliament.
Lower Classes
Vagabonds
Rented land from nobles or gentry.
Worked long hours for low wages.
Had little political power and basic living conditions.
Vagabonds were homeless, jobless people. They travelled and often faced suspicion or punishment.
Deserving Poor
Could not work due to age, illness, or disability.
Supported by local parishes under the Poor Laws.
Labourers
Changing Social Structure
Population Growth
The population rose from about 3 million to over 4 million during Elizabeth’s reign.
More people meant greater demand for food, causing prices to rise (inflation).
Jobs and land became harder to find, leading to increased poverty.
This created tension between social classes, as many struggled to survive.
Urbanisation (Growth of Towns and Cities)
Many people moved from the countryside to towns like London in search of work.
Towns became overcrowded, dirty, and difficult to control.
Traditional village structures, where everyone knew their place, began to break down.
Increased numbers of vagabonds and beggars worried the government.
Changing Social Structure
Economic Change
Enclosure of land for sheep farming meant fewer jobs for farm workers.
The cloth trade and overseas trade created new wealth for merchants.
Some people, especially in the gentry and merchant classes, became richer and more influential.
This meant social mobility was increasing — people could rise in status through wealth, which challenged the fixed hierarchy.
Effects on the Social Hierarchy
The gap between rich and poor grew wider.
The government feared disorder from the growing number of poor and unemployed.
This led to stricter Poor Laws to control the population.
The traditional idea that everyone had a fixed place in the Great Chain of Being became harder to maintain.
Introduction to Poverty
Poverty was a widespread and growing problem in Elizabethan England, with many people unable to find work or afford basic food. Rapid population growth increased competition for jobs and land, while rising demand for food caused prices to increase, leading to inflation. Enclosure of common land for sheep farming forced many rural workers off the land and into unemployment. A series of bad harvests in the 1590s made food shortages worse, and the earlier dissolution of the monasteries had removed a traditional source of help for the poor. As poverty became more visible, the government divided the poor into the ‘deserving’ and ‘undeserving’, offering support to those unable to work while harshly punishing vagabonds. This led to the introduction of the Poor Laws in 1598 and 1601, which made parishes responsible for relief and aimed to control poverty to prevent disorder.
Causes of Poverty
Poverty in Elizabethan England increased due to several key factors linked to economic and social change. Rapid population growth meant there were more people competing for fewer jobs and less land, while the rising demand for food caused prices to increase, leading to inflation.
Enclosure of land for sheep farming resulted in farm closures and fewer farming jobs, forcing many rural workers into unemployment. As a result, large numbers of people were left without a stable income and struggled to afford basic necessities like food and shelter.
Key Causes of Poverty
The decline in farming jobs also increased poverty. Economic changes meant fewer workers were needed in agriculture, so even those who remained in rural areas struggled to find regular employment. This lack of work pushed many people into poverty and, in some cases, vagrancy.
Enclosures were a major cause of poverty in Elizabethan England. Landowners fenced off common land to rear sheep for the profitable wool trade. This forced many tenant farmers and labourers off the land, leaving them jobless and sometimes homeless.
Enclosures
Decline in farming jobs
Government Response: Poor Laws
The government responded to rising poverty by introducing the Poor Laws to organise support for those in need. Responsibility was placed on local parishes, which collected a poor rate tax to fund relief for the deserving poor while also controlling and punishing vagabonds.
Helping the Poor
Local Responsibility
Taxes were raised to fund this relief. Parishes collected a poor rate from local people to provide money for food, clothing, and basic support for the deserving poor.
Local responsibility was central to helping the poor. Each parish was required to care for and support its poor inhabitants, ensuring that help was organised at a community level.
Taxes
Punishment for Vagabonds
Vagrancy was treated as a crime in Elizabethan England, and vagabonds were seen as a threat to social order. As a result, they were often punished harshly, including being whipped or placed in the stocks to publicly shame and deter them.
Education in Elizabethan England
Grammar schools expanded during Elizabeth I’s reign as education became more valued, particularly for training boys in Latin, religion, and subjects needed for careers in the Church or government. However, schooling was still mainly available to boys from wealthier families, as they could afford the fees and did not need their children to work. Poor children rarely attended school because they were expected to earn money for their families, and girls’ education was usually limited to learning domestic skills at home rather than formal schooling.
Education for Girls
Few girls attended school in Elizabethan England, as formal education was not considered important for them. Instead, most girls were taught at home where they learned domestic skills such as sewing, cooking, cleaning, and childcare. These skills were seen as essential for their future roles as wives and mothers, while reading and writing were often viewed as unnecessary for girls, especially in poorer families.
Growth in Grammar Schools
Limits
However, there were clear limits to who could benefit. Most poor children could not attend because they were needed to work and earn money, and girls were largely excluded from formal schooling, as their education focused on domestic skills at home.
The growth of grammar schools in Elizabethan England created new educational opportunities, particularly for boys from wealthier families. These schools taught subjects such as Latin, mathematics, and religion, which prepared pupils for careers in the Church, law, or government, and attendance increased during Elizabeth’s reign.
Opportunities
Petty schools
Petty schools were the most basic level of education in Elizabethan England and were usually for young children.
They were often run in a teacher’s home.
Boys and girls could attend, usually from the ages of 5 to 7.
Children were taught reading, writing, and basic prayers.
The main purpose was to teach children to read the Bible and learn good behaviour.
After petty school, boys from wealthier families might go on to grammar school, while most girls and poor children stopped formal education and learned skills at home.
Petty schools show that while education was becoming more common, it was still very limited and depended on wealth and gender.
Leisure & Entertainment
Leisure and entertainment were important parts of life in Elizabethan England and included a wide range of activities. People enjoyed festivals, sports, gambling, bear-baiting, and visiting the theatre, which became especially popular during Elizabeth I’s reign. These activities were shared by many social classes, although the type of entertainment often depended on wealth and status. Public holidays such as May Day and harvest festivals were marked with music, dancing, feasting, and community celebrations that brought people together.
Elizabethan Theatre
Theatre became extremely popular in Elizabethan England, especially in London where purpose-built playhouses were constructed. Playwrights such as William Shakespeare wrote plays that entertained both rich and poor audience members, with different ticket prices allowing people from all social classes to attend. It was especially popular in growing towns like London, where purpose-built theatres such as The Globe were built.
Sports and Festivals
Sports, gambling, and lively festivals played a major role in everyday life in Elizabethan England and were enjoyed by people from all social classes. Popular sports included archery, which was encouraged by law for national defence, as well as football, wrestling, and running. Gambling on games, cards, and dice was common, especially at fairs and public gatherings.
Festivals such as May Day and harvest celebrations were important community events, filled with music, dancing, feasting, and plays. These occasions brought villages and towns together, offering relief from hard work and strengthening community bonds.
Exploration and Voyages of Discovery
During Elizabeth I’s reign, England became more involved in overseas exploration. This was driven by new technology, improved ships and navigation, and a strong desire to expand trade and compete with Spain and Portugal.
Exploration and Voyages of Discovery
Factors Prompting Exploration
New Technology and Navigation
The astrolabe and improved maps helped sailors navigate more accurately.
The compass and better knowledge of winds and currents made long voyages safer.
Improved Ships and Sailing
New ship designs such as the galleon were faster, lighter, and easier to steer.
These ships could carry more supplies and weapons for long journeys.
Exploration and Voyages of Discovery
Desire to Expand Trade
England wanted access to spices, gold, silver, and new markets.
Spain controlled much of the New World’s wealth, and England wanted a share.
Exploration also offered the chance to weaken Spain’s dominance.
Drake’s Circumnavigation (1577–1580)
Sir Francis Drake became the first Englishman to sail around the world.
He raided Spanish ships and ports, bringing back large amounts of treasure.
His voyage made him a national hero and proved England could challenge Spain at sea.
It encouraged further exploration and showed the potential profits overseas.
Attempted Colonisation of Virginia
Elizabethan explorers also tried to establish permanent colonies in the New World.
Reasons for Attempted Colonisation
To gain new resources such as gold and raw materials.
To create a base to attack Spanish ships.
To expand trade and increase England’s wealth.
To spread Protestantism and English influence.
Significance of Sir Walter Raleigh
Raleigh was given permission by Elizabeth to explore and settle land in North America.
He organised the expedition to Virginia, named after Elizabeth, the ‘Virgin Queen’.
Raleigh never went himself but funded and planned the colony.
Attempted Colonisation of Virginia
Reasons for Failure of the First Settlement (Roanoke, 1585 & 1587)
Settlers were unprepared and lacked farming skills.
Poor relations and conflict with Native Americans.
Shortage of food and supplies.
Lack of support and communication from England.
When help finally returned in 1590, the colony had disappeared (‘Lost Colony’).
Why This Matters (Edexcel links)
Shows England beginning to challenge Spanish power.
Demonstrates growth in trade, sea power, and ambition.
Highlights early attempts at empire-building, even though they failed.
Summary: Life in Elizabethan England
Elizabethan society was shaped by strict class divisions, widespread poverty, education limits, and thriving leisure activities.
