What types of beggers where there in Tudor England?

Answer 1

There were many beggars. Some would cut themselves then wrap themselves up in dirty bandages to fool people into giving them money, some aet soap so it frothed then pretended to have a fit. You also got the women beggars who would bribe a rich man to take them home and she'd rob them on the way. I heard that one beggar went around with a chicken in his ear and sbarked like a dog. Not sure about the last one.

Answer 2

The name "beggar" implies what they do and that is beg for money. Often people became rag pickers and bone pickers. These were people who searched for scraps of clothing and bone. About 90% of the population was poor and lived a substandard life. Whole families would cut and make pins to earn a few cents. Pins were used to hold clothing together since the zipper hadn't been invented nor button holes. People would sell what they could and some would steal from others. Women often became prostitutes since that was about the only job left for a woman besides a nun, servant, or doing the laundry. The churches would give alms to the poor and needy and there were poor houses. If a person owed money there was debtors prison where they were sentenced ( this included whole families and children).