See also:

• VAGRANCY (formed from " vagrant," wandering, unsettled; this word appears in Anglo-Fr. as wakerant and O.Fr. as wancrant, and is probably of Teut. origin, cf. M.L.G. welkern, to walk about; it is allied to Eng. " walk," and is not to be directly referred

VAGRANCY (formed from " vagrant," wandering, unsettled; this word appears in Anglo-Fr. as wakerant and O.Fr. as wancrant, and is probably of Teut. origin, cf. M.L.G. welkern, to walk about; it is allied to Eng. " walk," and is not to be directly referred  to See also:

• LAT

Lat. vagari), the See also:

• STATE
• STATE, GREAT OFFICERS OF

state of wandering without any settled See also:

• HOME
• HOME, DANIEL DUNGLAS (1833-1886)
• HOME, EARLS OF

home; in a wider sense the See also:

• TERM

term is applied in See also:

• ENGLAND
• ENGLAND, THE CHURCH OF

England and the See also:

• UNITED

United States to a See also:

• GREAT

great number of offences against the See also:

• GOOD, JOHN MASON (1764-1827)

good See also:

• ORDER
• ORDER (through Fr. ordre, for earlier ordene, from Lat. ordo, ordinis, rank, service, arrangement; the ultimate source is generally taken to be the root seen in Lat. oriri, rise, arise, begin; cf. " origin ")
• ORDER, HOLY

order of society . An See also:

• ENGLISH

English See also:

• STATUTE

statute of 1547 contains the first mention of the word " vagrant," using it synonymously with " vagabond " or " loiterer." See also:

• ANCIENT
• ANCIENT (also spelt ANTIENT; derived, through the Fr. ancien, old, from the late Lat. antianum, from ante, before)

Ancient statutes quoted by See also:

• BLACKSTONE, SIR WILLIAM (1723-1780)

Blackstone define vagrants to be " such as See also:

• WAKE (A.S. wacan, to " wake " or " watch ")
• WAKE, THOMAS (1297-1349)
• WAKE, WILLIAM (1657-1737)

wake on the See also:

• NIGHT

night and See also:

• SLEEP (0. Eng. slcepan; Ger. schlafen; cf. Lat. labi, to glide, and " slip ")

sleep on the See also:

• DAY (O. Eng. dreg, Ger. Tag; according to the New English Dictionary, " in no way related to the Lat. dies")
• DAY, JOHN (1574-1640?)
• DAY, THOMAS (1748-1789)

day and haunt customable taverns and alehouses and routs about; and no See also:

• MAN
• MAN, ISLE OF (anc. Mona)

man wot from whence they come ne whither they go." The word vagrant now usually includes idle and disorderly persons, rogues, vagabonds, tramps, unlicensed pedlars, beggars, &c . The social problem of See also:

• VAGRANCY (formed from " vagrant," wandering, unsettled; this word appears in Anglo-Fr. as wakerant and O.Fr. as wancrant, and is probably of Teut. origin, cf. M.L.G. welkern, to walk about; it is allied to Eng. " walk," and is not to be directly referred

vagrancy is one that in 1910 had not yet been satisfactorily dealt with, so far as the United See also:

• KINGDOM

Kingdom is concerned . Indeed, the legislation of the See also:

• EARLY
• EARLY, JUBAL ANDERSON (1816-1894)

early loth centuryremained still in force in England and See also:

• WALES (Cymru, Gwalia, Cambria)

Wales . In early times, legislation affecting the deserving poor and vagrants was blended . It was only very gradually that the former were allowed to run a freer course, but provisions as to vagrancy and mendicity, including stringent See also:

• LAWS

laws in relation to constructive " sturdy beggars," " rogues " and " vagabonds," formed, until well on in the 19th See also:

• CENTURY (from Lat. centuria, a division of a hundred men)

century, a prominent feature of Poor See also:

• LAW
• LAW (0. Eng. lagu, M. Eng. lawe; from an old Teutonic root lag, " lie," what lies fixed or evenly; cf. Lat. lex, Fr. loi)
• LAW, JOHN (1671—1729)
• LAW, WILLIAM (1686-1761)

Law legislation . In 1713 an See also:

• ACT (Lat. actus, actum)

act was passed for reducing the laws See also:

• RELATING

relating to rogues, vagabonds, sturdy beggars and vagrants into one act, and for more effectually punishing them and sending them to their homes, the manner of conveying them including See also:

• WHIPPING, or FLOGGING

whipping in every See also:

• COUNTY (through Norm. Fr. comae, cf. O. Fr. cunte, conk', Mod. Fr. comae, from Lat. comitatus, cf. Ital. comitato, Prov. comtat; see COUNT)

county through which they passed . This act was in turn repealed in 174o; the substituted consolidation act (13 Geo . II. c . 24), embracing a variety of provisions, made a distinction between idle and disorderly persons, rogues and vagabonds and incorrigible rogues . Four years later was passed another statute which continued the rough See also:

• CLASSIFICATION (Lat. classis, a class, probably from the root cal-, cla-, as in Gr. icaMce, clamor)

classification already mentioned . The laws relating to idle and disorderly persons, rogues and vagabonds, incorrigible rogues and other vagrants in England were again consolidated and amended in 1822, but the act was superseded two years later by the Vagrancy Act (5 Geo .

IV. c . 83), which in 1910 was the operative statute . The offences dealt with under the act of 1824 may be classified as follows: (r) offences committed by persons of a disreputable mode of See also:

• LIFE

life, such as begging, trading as a pedlar without a See also:

• LICENCE (through the French from Lat. licentia, licere, to be lawful)

licence, telling fortunes, or sleeping in outhouses, unoccupied buildings, &c., without visible means of subsistence; (2) offences against the poor law, such as leaving a wife and See also:

• FAMILY

family chargeable to the poor See also:

• RATE

rate, returning to and becoming chargeable to a See also:

• PARISH (Gr. irapouda, district, neighbourhood; 7r&poucos, one dwelling near or beside, from crap&, OtKOS, house; Lat. paroecur, Late Lat. parochia; cf. Fr. paroisse)

parish after being removed therefrom by an order of the justices, refusing or neglecting to perform the task of See also:

• WORK

work in a workhouse, or damaging clothes or other See also:

• PROPERTY

property belonging to the guardians; (3) offences committed by professional criminals, such as being found in See also:

• POSSESSION
• POSSESSION (Lat. possessio, possidere, to possess)

possession of See also:

• HOUSE
• HOUSE (O. Eng. hiss, a word common to Teutonic languages, cf. Dut. huis, Ger. Haus; in Gothic it is only found in gudhiss, a temple; it may be ultimately connected with the root of " hide," conceal)

house-breaking implements or a See also:

• GUN

gun or other offensive weapon with a felonious See also:

• INTENT (from Lat. intend ere, to stretch out, extend, particularly in the phrase intendere animum, to turn one's mind to, purpose)

intent, or being found on any enclosed premises for an unlawful purpose, or frequenting public places for the purpose of See also:

• FELONY (0. Fr. felonie, from felon, a word meaning " wicked," common to Romanic languages, cf. Italian fella, fellone, the ultimate origin of which is obscure, but is possibly connected either with Lat. fel, gall, or fallere, to deceive. The English " fel

felony . Offences specially characteristic of vagrancy are begging, sleeping out, and certain offences in casual wards, such as refusal to perform a task of work and destroying clothes . Persons committing these last-mentioned offences are classed as " idle and disorderly persons " and are liable on See also:

• SUMMARY

summary conviction to imprisonment with hard labour for fourteen days or on conviction by a See also:

• PETTY, SIR WILLIAM (1623-1687)

petty sessional See also:

• COURT
• COURT (from the O. Fr. court, Late Lat. cortis, curtis, a popular form of class. Lat. cohors, gen. cohortis; the mod. Fr. form tour is due to the influence of the Lat. curia, the word used in medieval documents to translate " court " in the feudal sense)
• COURT, ANTOINE (1696-176o)

court to a See also:

• FINE

fine of £5 or a See also:

• MONTH
• MONTH (a common Teutonic word, cf. Ger. Mond, Du. maand, Dan. maaned, &c., and cognate with Lat. mensis, Gr. µi7v, &c., in other branches of the Indo-Germanic family; all ultimately from the root seen in the word for the moon in nearly all those languages

month's imprisonment with or without hard labour . A second conviction makes a See also:

• PERSON, OFFENCES AGAINST THE

person a " See also:

• ROGUE

rogue and vagabond " liable on summary conviction to imprisonment for fourteen days or on conviction by a petty sessional court to a fine of £25 or imprisonment for three months with or without hard labour . Any person sleeping out without visible means of subsistence is a rogue and vagabond, or on second conviction an incorrigible rogue, while an See also:

• ORDINARY (med. Lat. ordinarius, Fr. ordinaire)

ordinary See also:

• BEGGAR

beggar is an idle and disorderly person . Under the poor law as reformed in 1834 the See also:

• PRIMARY

primary See also:

• DUTY (from " due," that which is owing, O. Fr. deu, dil, past participle of devoir; Lat. debere, debitum; cf. " debt ")

duty of boards of guardians was to relieve destitute persons within their See also:

• DISTRICT

district, but legislation and See also:

• ADMINISTRATION (Lat. administrare, to serve)

administration gradually widened that duty, so that eventually they came to administer See also:

• RELIEF

relief to vagrants also, or casual paupers, as they are officially termed . Within the limits prescribed by the See also:

• LOCAL

local See also:

• GOVERNMENT
• GOVERNMENT (0. Fr. governement, mod. gouvernement, O. Fr. governer, mod. gouverner, from Lat. gubernare, to steer a ship, guide, rule; cf. Gr. xv(3epvav)

government See also:

• BOARD (O. Eng. bord)

board the treatment in English casual wards varies in a striking degree . Before See also:

• ADMISSION

admission to a casual See also:

• WARD
• WARD, ADOLPHUS WILLIAM (1837- )
• WARD, ARTEMUS
• WARD, EDWARD MATTHEW (1816-1879)
• WARD, ELIZABETH STUART PHELPS (1844-1911)
• WARD, JAMES (1769--1859)
• WARD, JAMES (1843– )
• WARD, JOHN QUINCY ADAMS (1830-1910)
• WARD, LESTER FRANK (1841– )
• WARD, MARY AUGUSTA [MRS HUMPHRY WARD]
• WARD, WILLIAM (1766-1826)
• WARD, WILLIAM GEORGE (1812-1882)

ward a vagrant requires casual an order, obtained either from a relieving officer or his wards. assistant . In cases of sudden or urgent See also:

• NECESSITY (Lat. necessitas)

necessity, however, the See also:

• MASTER (Lat. magister, related to tnagis, more, as the corresponding minister is to minus, less; the English form is due partly to the O. Eng. maegister, and partly to O. Fr. maistre, mod. maitre; cf. Du. meester, Ger. Meister, Ital. maestro)

master of the workhouse has See also:

• POWER [WILLIAM GRATTAN] TYRONE (1797-1841)

power to admit without an order . Generally speaking, vagrants are not admitted to the casual wards before 4 p.m. in See also:

• WINTER, JOHN STRANGE
• WINTER, PETER (c. 1755-1825)

winter or 6 p.m. in summer .

On admission, they are supposed to be searched, but this is not usually done with much thoroughness; broken See also:

• FOOD
• FOOD (like the verb " to feed," from a Teutonic root, whence O. Eng. foda; cf. " fodder "; connected with Gr. lrareicOae, to feed)

food found on them is sometimes allowed to be eaten in the ward; See also:

• MONEY

money, See also:

• PIPE

pipe, See also:

• TOBACCO

tobacco, &c., are restored to them on See also:

• DISCHARGE (adapted from the O. Fr. discharge, modern decharge, from a med. Lat. discargare, to unload, dis- and earn care, to load, cf. " charge ")

discharge . As soon as practicable after admission vagrants are required to be cleansed in a See also:

• BATH
• BATH, THOMAS THYNNE
• BATH, WILLIAM

bath with See also:

• WATER

water of suitable temperature . Their clothes are taken away and disinfected and a night-See also:

• SHIRT

shirt provided . Sleeping See also:

• ACCOMMODATION (Lat. accommodare, to make fit, from ad, to, cum, with, and modus, measure)

accommodation is provided either on the cellular See also:

• SYSTEM

system or in associated wards, the proportion of work-houses providing the former being 2 to 1 . Vagrants are, as a See also:

• GENERAL
• GENERAL (Lat. generalis, of or relating to a genus, kind or class)

general See also:

• RULE

rule, supposed to be detained two nights and are required to perform a task of work . This consists of See also:

• STONE
• STONE (0. Eng. shin; the word is common to Teutonic languages, cf. Ger. Stein, Du. steen, Dan. and Swed. sten; the root is also seen in Gr. aria, pebble)
• STONE, CHARLES POMEROY (1824-1887)
• STONE, EDWARD JAMES (1831-1897)
• STONE, FRANK (1800-1859)
• STONE, GEORGE (1708—1764)
• STONE, LUCY [BLACKWELL] (1818-1893)
• STONE, MARCUS (184o— )
• STONE, NICHOLAS (1586-1647)

stone-breaking, See also:

• WOOD, ANTHONY A2 (1632-1695)
• WOOD, JOHN GEORGE (1827—1889)
• WOOD, MRS HENRY [ELLEN] (1814—1887)
• WOOD, SEARLES VALENTINE (1798—188o)

wood-sawing, wood-chopping, pumping, digging or See also:

• OAKUM (0. Eng. dcumbe or—cecumbe, tow, literally " off-combings ")

oakum picking, and should represent nine See also:

• HOURS, CANONICAL

hours' work . The supervising authority has endeavoured, in prescribing the work to which vagrants are put, to make it as deterrent as possible, but in practice the work presents little difficulty to the. habitual vagrant, and very few workhouses enforce the two nights' detention rule . The fare provided for vagrants is a welcome relief, too, from their usual scanty fare, and in many of the See also:

• MODERN

modern workhouses the wards are almost luxurious in their See also:

• STYLE
• STYLE (from Gr. a-6'1ms, a column; a different word from that used in literature, see below)

style and equipment . 838 The consequence of this generous treatment of those who are " work-shy " is that instead of being repelled or reformed by their Reform treatment, the class is continually on the increase . This move- increase has received the serious See also:

• ATTENTION (from Lat. ad-tendo, await, expect; the condition of being " stretched " or " tense ")

attention of social re- went formers, and in 1904 the See also:

• PRESIDENT (Fr. president, from Lat. praesidens, post-Augustan Lat. for praeses, director, ruler, from praesidere, to sit in front of, preside)

president of the local government board appointed a departmental See also:

• COMMITTEE (from commute, an Anglo-Fr. past participle of commettre, Lat. committere, to entrust; the modern Fr. equivalent comite is derived from the Eng.)

committee to inquire into the subject of vagrancy . The committee presented its See also:

• REPORT (O.Fr. report or raport, modern rapport, from O.Fr. reporter, mod. rap porter, Lat. reportare, to bring back, in poetical use only, of bringing back an account, news, &c.)

report in 1906, which with the See also:

• EVIDENCE (Lat. evidentia, evideri, to appear clearly)

evidence of witnesses is a most valuable exposition of the subject . Among the various recommendations of the committee the most important were the transference of casual wards to the See also:

• CONTROL (Fr. contrdle, older form contre rolle, from Med. Lat. contra-rotulus, a counter roll or copy of a document used to check the original; there is no instance in English of the use of " control " in this, its literal, meaning)

control of See also:

• POLICE (Fr. police, government, civil administration, a police force, Gr. sroXumeia, constitution, condition of a state, roars, city, state)

police authorities; the issue of way-tickets, as used on the See also:

• CONTINENT (from Lat. continere, "to hold together "; hence " connected," " continuous ")

continent of See also:

• EUROPE

Europe and a very few English counties, by the police to See also:

• BONA (BONE)
• BONA, JOHN (1609-1674)

bona fide work-seekers, and more especially the detention of habitual vagrants in labour colonies .

This last recommendation was also that of the Royal See also:

• COMMISSION (from Lat. commissio, committere)

Commission on the Poor Laws which reported in 1909, to which those interested are also referred for valuable See also:

• INFORMATION (from Lat. informare, to give shape or form to, to represent, describe)

information . The system of way-tickets has been found useful in See also:

• GERMANY
• GERMANY (Ger. Deutschland)

Germany and See also:

• SWITZERLAND

Switzerland in assisting the genuine work-seeker on his way and in discriminating between him and the idle vagrant . In Germany those leaving their districts must carry certain papers of See also:

• IDENTIFICATION (Lat. idem, the same)

identification in addition to a Wanderschein or way-See also:

• TICKET (O. Fr. esliquet, also estiquette, mod. etiquette, from Ger. sleeken, to stick up)

ticket . For the relief of the destitute wayfarer there is the Herberge or lodging-house, maintained by a voluntary society, and the Verpflegungs-station, or relief station, maintained by the local authorities, In each, those in See also:

• SEARCH, or VISIT AND SEARCH

search of work can obtain lodging and food either for a small See also:

• PAYMENT (Fr. paiement, from payer, to pay; Lat. pacare, to appease, pax, peace)

payment or by the performance of three hours' work, such as wood-chopping or stone-breaking . In Switzerland way-tickets are issued by a society named the Inter-Cantonal See also:

• UNION
• UNION (known locally as Union Hill and officially as Town of Union)

Union to those who can prove that they have worked for an employer within the three preceding months, and that at least five days have elapsed since that employment ceased . The Vagrancy Committee recommended that the English way-ticket in See also:

• BOOK

book See also:

• FORM (Lat. forma)

form should give the man's See also:

• PERSONAL

personal description, his usual See also:

• TRADE (O. Eng. trod, footstep, from tredan, to tread; in M. Eng. the forms teed, trod and trade appear, the last in the sense of a beaten track)
• TRADE, BOARD OF

trade, his See also:

• REASON (Lat. ratio, through French raison)

reason for wanting to travel and his proposed destination, and should contain his See also:

• SIGNATURE (through Fr. from Lat. signature, signare, to sign, signum, mark, token, sign)

signature and, possibly, his See also:

• FINGER

finger-prints for the purpose of testing identity . The name of each casual ward visited should be stamped on the ticket . The duration of the ticket should be limited to a certain See also:

• PERIOD
• PERIOD (Gr. irepioSos, a going or way round, circuit, aepi, round, and &Sis, way, road)

period, possibly a month . With such a ticket, a man should be entitled at the casual ward to a night's lodging, supper and breakfast, and after performing two hours' work to help to pay for his food and lodging he should be See also:

• FREE

free to leave whenever he liked . The name of the next ward on the See also:

• DIRECT

direct See also:

• LINE

line of his route, which he could reach that night, should be entered on the ticket, and on his arrival at that See also:

• PLACE (through Fr. from Lat. platea, street; Gr. IrAar6s, wide)

place he should be treated in the same manner . The ticket would thus form a See also:

• RECORD (Lat. recordari, to recall to mind, from cor, heart or mind)

record of his See also:

• JOURNEY (through O. Fr. jornee or journee, mod. Fr. journee, from med. Lat. diurnata, Lat. diurnus, of or belonging to dies, day)

journey and show whether he was genuinely in search of work . The remedy which has been considered as most likely to be effective for the cure of habitual vagrancy in England is that of labour colonies, which have been tried on the continent Labour of Europe with a substantial measure of success. colonies .

professional beggars; (b) persons, who, owing to idleness, See also:

• DRUNKENNESS

drunkenness or immorality, live in a state of vagrancy; and (c) souteneurs . There are two of these depots: one for men at Merxplas, and another for See also:

• WOMEN

women at See also:

• BRUGES (Flemish Brugge, a name signifying the bridge or place of bridges)

Bruges . Persons are committed to the depots on summary conviction for a period of not less than two years or more than seven years . The See also:

• POPULATION (Lat. populus, people; populare, to populate)

population of Merxplas is over 5000; the colonists are employed in See also:

• LAND

land reclamation, farming and various See also:

• INDUSTRIES

industries . Small daily See also:

• WAGES (the plural of " wage," from Late Lat. wadium, a pledge, O. Fr. wagier, gagier)

wages, varying from Id. to 3d., are paid, but these may be withheld for disciplinary purposes . One See also:

• HALF

half of the wages is retained by the management and paid out to the colonist on leaving, the other half being given monthly in the shape of tokens to spend at the See also:

• CANTEEN (through the Fr. cantine, from Ital. cantina, a cellar)

canteen in articles of food, tobacco, &c . The houses of See also:

• REFUGE

refuge are for men who from See also:

• AGE (Fr. age, through late Lat. aetaticum, from aetas)

age or infirmity are unable to work, or who have been driven to begging or vagrancy by the want of work or misfortune . The See also:

• CHIEF (from Fr. chef, head, Lat. caput)

chief house of refuge is at Hoogstraeten, where the helpless and sick are received; that at Wortel being reserved for the able-bodied . The colonists See also:

• EARN

earn wages ranging from Id. to 7d. a day, one-third of this being given to them to spend, and they may take their discharge when they have saved 12s. from their earnings or can show that they have work to go to . The maximum period of detention.is one See also:

• YEAR

year . Germany.—In Germany there are between See also:

• THIRTY

thirty and See also:

• FORTY

forty labour colonies, under the management of a charitable association, the Labour See also:

• COLONY (Lat. colonia, from colonus, a cultivator)

Colony Central Board . There is however, no compulsory detention .

The institutions which See also:

• DEAL

deal with vagrants and persons who neglect to maintain themselves are termed " workhouses " (Arbeitshduser), but they correspond to the compulsory colonies of See also:

• BELGIUM
• BELGIUM (Fr. Belgique; Flem. Belgic)

Belgium and See also:

• HOLLAND
• HOLLAND, CHARLES (1733–1769)
• HOLLAND, COUNTY AND PROVINCE OF
• HOLLAND, HENRY FOX, 1ST BARON (1705–1774)
• HOLLAND, HENRY RICH, 1ST EARL OF (1S9o-,649)
• HOLLAND, HENRY RICHARD VASSALL FOX, 3RD
• HOLLAND, JOSIAH GILBERT (1819-1881)
• HOLLAND, PHILEMON (1552-1637)
• HOLLAND, RICHARD, or RICHARD DE HOLANDE (fl. 1450)
• HOLLAND, SIR HENRY, BART

Holland . Under the penal See also:

• CODE (Lat. codex)

code of 1900, any one (a) who wanders about as a vagabond: (b) who begs, or causes or allows his See also:

• CHILDREN, LAW RELATING TO

children to beg; (c) who through gambling, drunkenness or idleness is forced to apply for relief for himself, or those for whose See also:

• MAINTENANCE (Fr. maintenance, from maintenir, to maintain, support, Lat. manu tenere, to hold in the hand)

maintenance he is responsible; (d) who while in See also:

• RECEIPT (M.E. receite, derived through Fr. from Lat. recepta, participle of recipere, to receive)

receipt of public relief refuses to do work given him by the authorities; (e) who after losing his lodging fails to procure another within a certain See also:

• TIME (0. Eng. Lima, cf. Icel. timi, Swed. timme, hour, Dan. time; from the root also seen in " tide," properly the time of between the flow and ebb of the sea, cf. O. Eng. getidan, to happen, " even-tide," &c.; it is not directly related to Lat. tempus)
• TIME, MEASUREMENT OF
• TIME, STANDARD

time, is liable to detention in a workhouse for a period not exceeding two years . The workhouses are under strict military discipline, the inmates being termed prisoners . They are taught domestic, agricultural and See also:

• INDUSTRIAL

industrial occupations . Switzerland.—Labour colonies are of two kinds, voluntary and compulsory . The voluntary colonies, of which there are three in Switzerland, are managed by philanthropic See also:

• SOCIETIES, LEARNED

societies . Entry and discharge are voluntary, but those seeking admission must agree to stay a stated time, usually one or two months . Compulsory colonies are established in every See also:

• CANTON
• CANTON (borrowed from the Ital. cantone, a corner or angle)
• CANTON (more correctly KWANG-CHOW Fu)
• CANTON, JOHN (1718-1772)

canton, under the management of the cantonal See also:

• COUNCIL (Lat. concilium, from cum, together, and the root cal, to call)

council . Beggars can be arrested, and, if habitual offenders, can be sent to a labour colony for a period varying from six months to two years . If the man is found to have refused work, he can be sent to a labour colony as a " work-shy " for from three months to two years . Owing in great measure to the success of these labour colonies, vagrancy has considerably diminished in Switzerland, and the colonies everywhere are small; that at Witzwyl, the largest, having less than 200 inmates . See also:

• PUNISHMENT (from Lat. punire, to punish, from poena, punishment, Gr. 7rocvil)

Punishment is generally inflicted by reduction of food; the inmates receive no wages, but by See also:

• INDUSTRY (Lat. industria, from indu-, a form of the pre, position in, and either stare, to stand, or struere, to pile up)

industry may earn a remission of their period of detention (T .

A .