Early Modern (1500-1700)

• What did policing still heavily rely on?

  Local community
• Why was the hue and cry becoming less effective

  Population increasing -> less effective
• What did Parish constables do?


  -Protect citizens from crime

  -Part-time role (no uniform/weapons)

  -Could arrest + punish criminals
• Why did many prefer Church courts

  Could claim benefit of clergy -> more lenient
• Name 3 changes in law enforcement

  -Watchmen to patrol streets

  -Town constable

  -Professional thief takers
• What was role of town constable?


  -Appointed by town authorities

  -Turn serious criminals to court

  -Round up vagrants
• What did thief takers do?

  Reclaim stolen property -> paid but open to corruption due to criminals also being thief takers
• What did Henry V11 do to the benefit of clergy?

  -Only allowed once + branded to prove it

  -1600- not allowed to use for serious crimes like murder
• Did the Church become more or less powerful in law enforcement?

  Less
• From 1576, what couldn't happen in Church Courts


  Couldn't try criminal acts only moral ones
• what was the emphasis on when dealing with crimes

  • deterrence
  • retribution
• what were prisons used for

  • holding cells for people waiting their trials
  • or punishment to be carried out
  • held petty criminals + disorderly offenders
  • separating criminals from society
• what were the positives about prisons

  • place to hold petty criminals
  • gave children a house/home
  • gave accused a place to stay
• what were the limitations for prisons

  • poor conditions
  • had to pay wardens for food + basic needs
  • women + men + children housed together
  • violent offenders kept in the same place with them
  • dirty + unhealthy + no sanitation
• when was a house of correction opened

  1556
• where was a house of correction opened

  in Bridewell Palace in London
• what was the house of corrections in Bridewell Palace in London called

  Bridewell prison
• what was bridewell prison used to do

  • punish poor people who had broken the law
  • to house poor children who were homeless
  • all 'inmates' do hard labour like breaking rocks
• during the 17th century what increased

  the number of crimes that carried the death penalty
• by 1688 how many capital crimes were there

  50
• what was the bloody code

  the harsh attitude to the law making + when many crimes were punishable by death
• what was the intention with the bloody code

  strong deterrent so crimes would reduce but system was flawed
• why were many crimes carried out

  • though desperation
• what was the problem with the bloody code

  • many people were given pardons as the penalties were so severe
  • unfairly applied as it depended on your judge or jury
  • criminals could receive pardons from proving their good character
  • undermined public trust = confusing
• during which monarch's reign did they start transportation as a form of punishment

  James I (1603-25)
• where was transported prisoners taken

  North America
• what did transported prisoners do when they arrived in North America

  • tough manual labour
  • clearing trees/farm work
  • served for 14yrs or 7yrs
• what was the purpose of transportation

  • permanent removal of the homeless
  • possibility of rehabilitation
  • gives them a chance to reflect + change
  • deterrent
• what was the positives about transportation

  • less harsher than death penalty
  • alternative to bloody code
  • change in attitude
• what are the limitations of transporta

  • after they're freed -> no money or way back home
  • had to spend rest of their lives there
  • hard labour more about building Empire
• within 200yrs how much had the population of England risen to

  it had more than doubled
• which city grew rapidly in their population

  London
• who employed town constables

  • the town authorities
• who could become a town constable

  • local people with good standing in community
  • like merchants whose businesses benefit from better law enforcement
• what did town constables do

  • turn in serious criminals to courts
  • to stop suspected criminals
  • break up fights
  • helps with collecting payments
  • can arrest criminals without a warrant
• who were expected to become night watchmen

  • all householders
  • as part of all male town citizens duties
• how did the patrol work for night watchmen

  • takes turn to patrol local area
  • between 10pm - dawn
• what equipment did the nightwatchman have

  • a lamp
  • rings a bell -> warns people to go home or risk being viewed as a criminal
• were night watchmen paid

  • no unpaid volunteers
  • had to also do normal jobs alongside
• what did thief takers do

  • operated privately
  • take rewards for catching criminals