Elizabethan Laws of the 1500's

1511 Physicians and Surgeons Act limiting medical practice to those who had been examined. Oxford and Cambridge universities retained their rights to issue licences to practice

1522 An Act set out “The Privileges and Authority of Physicians in London” (In 1518 the Royal College of Physicians of London founded to oversee the practice of medicine within a seven mile radius of the City by licensing recognised physicians).1534 Act of Supremacy making the King Henry VIII supreme head of the Church of England

1538 Parish registers began charting a weekly record of baptisms, marriages and deaths

1539 Act for the Dissolution of the Greater Monasteries and Abbeys

1547 Edward VI sentenced Branding and slavery as the punishment for persistent vagrancy

1549 Act of Uniformity forbade the use of the Catholic Mass1552 Poor Law Act was passed in order to officially record the number of poor in each Parish Register

1555 Highways Act required parishioners to provide for four days labour for maintenance of highways1556 The Royal College of Physicians of London started to issue licences to practice medicine in London

1559 Queen Elizabeth's Second Act of Supremacy repealing legislation passed during Queen Mary’s reign and restoring to the Crown jurisdiction over the Church as well as the Realm

1559 Act of Uniformity of Common Prayer and Administration of the Sacrament whereby attendance at church became compulsory and non-attendance was punishable by fine or imprisonment. Known as the Recusancy laws

1562 - Highways Act extending the period of labour required for the maintenance of highways from 4 to 6 days

1563 Poor Law Act - The different types of Poor people were categorised in order to determine the treatment that they might receive

1572 Poor Law Act in which the first compulsory poor law tax was imposed at a local level making the alleviation of poverty a local responsibility.

1574 Queen Elizabeth I enforced some new Sumptuary Laws called the 'Statutes of Apparel'.

1576 Poor Law Act in which each town was required to provide work for the unemployed

1593 An Act for the Necessary Relief of Soldiers and Mariners in which each parish was charged with a weekly sum towards the relief of sick, hurt and maimed soldiers and mariners

1597 Poor Law Act in which Justices of the Peace were given more authority to raise additional compulsory funds to provide for the poor. A new position of 'Overseer of the Poor' was created

1601 Poor Law Act formalised earlier practices making provision for a National system to be paid for by levying property taxes.