For many centuries the various religious houses cared for the poor and vulnerable. But Henry VIII’s reforms destroyed this system leading to huge numbers of poor, forcing many to be homeless beggars who often turned to crime. Elizabeth established the system of ‘settlement’ whereby each parish collected funds for the poor which was used to support anyone in need who was born or apprenticed there, or a woman married a man who was.

This system worked when people stayed put, but if they moved, often from rural poverty in search of better lives in towns, there was no help for them. Instead, they were sent to where they had rights to support, albeit very limited. There are horror stories of families who lost their father so were marched back to where their husband/father came from. They being could be forced to walk to their place of settlement, ie the birthplace of late father/husband. If mothers were pregnant they could die en route.

People from abroad were expected to maintain themselves. Merchants formed self supporting enclaves such as London’s Tallis Steelyard. When English merchants lived abroad they helped each other in enclaves but if their home country went to war with where they lived, they could be treated as enemies.

All this forms a background to the treatment of the rise in foreigners such as mariners who could fall on hard times in Britain. Pre Reformation priests cared for them but when abolished there was no replacement. They had to ship out as soon as possible but if sick or injured they could become homeless and die.

There is a famously ornate grave at Henbury, now part of north Bristol, of a young man called Scipio Africanus. Local commentators have claimed he was a slave, even that he was ‘buried like a horse’ or a dog, which is nonsense. The stone clearly states:

“I was born a pagan and a slave.

Now sleep a Christian in my grave.”

It has survived near the main entrance to the church, so has been well maintained showing parishioners accepted the presence of the young man with their ancestors in the graveyard.

But as the young man was probably born elsewhere, ie abroad, he probably had no right to live or work freely beyond the personal protection of his master.

Many young African boys were employed as page boys so when they became adults they were often abandoned by their masters. Some fortunate ones were trained in trades and were able to gain their freedom to live and work.

During the American War of Independence, the British leader offered freedom to any slaves who would help the British. This was a rash move as there was no legal means to do this. The result was that many came to Britain and found themselves homeless and unemployable. I have read accounts condemning this and it was of course shameful. But countries were bankrupted by wars, struggling to care for their own widows, orphans and injured combatants. There was no system in place to help foreign combatants.