History- Crime and punishment

• When was the statute Of Labourers passed? What was it and why was it introduced?

  1. This prevented workers from asking their masters for higher wages and moving to a new area to look for work.At the time of this law being passed, the Black Death had wiped out a large proportion of the population and so the lower classes were able to ask for higher wages or threaten to work for another master (as they were in need for workers, as many had died).
• Who was the shire reeve / parish constable?

  A local official appointed from the community who had the responsibility of carrying out judgements made by the local community
• What was a travelling justice?

  people given power by the king to hear cases and make judgements on behalf of the king. This made the court system more efficient
• What was the posse?

  group of men organised by the sheriff to track down criminals (hue and cry still used in smaller communities)
• How much of the population lived in villages in the Anglo-Saxon period? What did this mean?

  90%. This made the local community extremely important in law enforcement
• What was a county coroner?

  introduced in 1194, these people investigated unexpected or suspicious deaths
• What did the growth of towns in the Medieval period result in? What was needed as a result?

  1. More opportunities for crime in small village communities.
  2. A more centralised approached was needed to deal with crime.
• What were town watchmen?

  also called a constable, they had a similar job to JPs. These people were appointed by the king
• Did people actually stop trial by ordeal in 1215 after Pope Innocent III forbade it?

  No, people continued to use this method of trying suspected criminals.King Henry III did not recognise its abolition until 1219 but after this point, there are no cases of trial by ordeal recorded on the official English plea rolls.However, unofficially, the practice continued.For example, trial by cold water was used to try witches in the Elizabethan period
• How did Law Enforcement change during the latter medieval era in terms of the community

  • From 1250, Parish Constables led Hue and Cries and tried to keep peace and arrested people
  • Some Towns had Nights Watchmen who patrolled the streets any they told the constables about any criminals
  • If juries couldn’t make a decision trial by ordeal and combat continued to be used. However they got completely abolsihed in 1215
• Give three similarities between Anglo Saxon,Norman and later medieval law enforcement

  1. All used capital and corporal punishmentUsed Fine
  2. Punished people differently based on Gender and Class
  3. Aim of Punishment was the same across all periods
• How many crimes were punishable by death in 1815?

  225
• How did crime change in the industrial period?

  • Last execution of Heresy in 1612
  • Fear of vagabonds decreased
  • 1736 witchcraft repealed
• Why did people poach?

  Big profits and more demand for meat
• How did people's views on the goverment chnage in the industrial reveloution?

  Realised goverment should have control over things
• How did population change in the industrial period?

  1750- 9.5 million

  1900- 41.5 million
• Why were people worried about the trade unions?

  Thought it took control away from buisness

  French rev just finished and worried it would happen to the UK
• Why did people smuggle?

  People didn't have to pay taxes on the item, big profit
• How did the goverment respond to smuggling?

  Duke richmond wanted to get rid of smuggling so in 1748 he killed 45 smugglers
• What factors influenced people into smuggling?

  • Wealth and poverty
  • Travel
  • Goverment
  • Urbanisation
  • Attitudes to society
• Why was the police force introduced?

  Crime increased because they were unemployed after the French war and scared of a reveloution

  Urbanisation meant ususal methods were not good enough
• Why did peel want to change the law?

  • Juries wouldn't convict as they felt bad killing ppl- bloody code wasn't working
  • Public executions didn't work and people got angry
  • Ideas of punishment changed
• What were the three main crimes that came about in the Early Modern period

  • Vagrancy
  • Smuggling
  • Witchcraft
• Which punishments were used during this period?

  Continuity:Pillory, the Stocks, ducking stools, flogging

  Change:Bridewell (a house of correction where people were whipped and sent to work), the Bloody Code
• What were the four positions of law enforcement during this period?

  Night Watchmen

  Town Constable

  Thief takers

  Justices of the Peace
• Facts about night watchmen?

  1. Patrol between 10pm - dawn
  2. Unpaid - volunteers who had to earn a living during the day
  3. All male householders expected to serve as night watchmen (part of local duty)
• Facts about town constables?

  • Has some power to arrest suspects
  • Expected to turn in serious criminals to the courts
  • Expected to stop suspected criminals, break up fights and round up beggars
• Facts about thief takers?

  • Paid a reward for catching a criminal
  • Also paid to deliver criminals to the law
  • Open to corruption - criminal gangs could act as thief takers to report on enemy gangs
• Changes in Society and impact

  • Increase in Population - Lead to theftEnclosure of Land - PoachingChange of Monarch - Heresy And Treason
• Why did England change from catholic to protestant under Henry VIII?

  Henry wanted to divorce his first wife Catherine of Aragon but the Pope refused to allow this to happen.In response, Henry created the Church of England.This meant that England converted to Protestantism and he was allowed to marry Anne Boleyn.
• Continuities in Law Enforcement During the Early Modern Period

  • Hue And CryConstablesChurch Courts however benefit of clergy was endedTrial by Jury
• What was a Night Watchmen

  • Town Watchmen were introduced to patrol the streets.They patrolled during the day and the night and their role included the arrest and detention of vagabonds and drunks.In reality, they were not particularly effective as they were poorly paid.The role attracted people desperate for a job and as a result, those employed were often drunk on the job and faced ridicule.
• what were Jp's

  Justices of the Peace (JPs) became an important method of law enforcement during this period.It was usually local wealthy people that took the position as it offered prestige.The role enabled them to pass sentence on others, issuing fines, ordered people to be whipped or send them to the stocks and pillory.
• Continuity in Punishment During the Early Modern Period

  stocks and pilloryWhippingPrisonTreason
• What was the Bloody Code

  The Bloody Code was introduced in 1688 when the number of crimes punishable by death increased to 50.Minor crimes such as poaching, cutting down live trees or going out at night with a blackened face were given the punishment of execution.By 1765, the figure had increased to 160 crimes.By 1815, 225 crimes were punishable by death.
• What impact did the rising population have on crime levels in England?

  There were fewer jobs available so people ended up traveling to find work. This led to increasing concerns about tramps, beggars and those traveling to find work.Thus, the impact of the growing population was more that it created fears about vagabondage and crime than that there was a real increase in crime rates.The anxiety around crime in this period was linked to wider feelings of financial and social insecurity. During times of poor harvests punishments often became more serious.
• The king's role in Medieval society

  King: The person, supposedly chosen by God, who was the most important of all people in the country. He controlled lots of land which he gave to all of his supporters. His job was to defend the country from attack and make sure people were protected by laws
• The nobles role in medieval society

  The nobles: They were the kings main supporter and advisors. The king gave them land and in return they provided soldiers to help the king and helped maintain law and order.
• The church’s role in Medieval Society

  The church: Medieval people were very religious, the Church was very important because it offered people the chance to go to Heaven when they died. Each village had a priest and everyone in the Village had to go to Church. The Church had its own courts to put Church workers on trial, the Church building was also used by criminals claiming sanctuary.
• The peasants role in Medieval society

  The peasants: Most people were peasants, they worked as farmers on the land owned by the local lord. Peasants worked on their own land as well so they could feed their families. There was no police force, so local communities were expected to look after each other and ensure law and order was kept