Industrial England

• Britain saw an increase in crime from c.1700 to c.1900, leading to the use of prisons as the main form of punishment and the introduction of the first professional police force
• The Industrial Revolution in Britain from the late 18th to early 19th century led to significant social changes, with the growth of cities and industry, increasing crime rates, and the need for a police force
• Cities becoming overcrowded during the Industrial Revolution increased crime and the necessity for a police force, with London having a population of 4.5 million by 1900
• The growth of technology and science during the Industrial Revolution, such as the development of railways, facilitated easier travel for both the general population and criminals
• Throughout most of the 18th and 19th centuries, the British government followed a laissez-faire approach to crime, but by the mid-19th century, there was a shift towards accepting the role of government in keeping people safe and protecting them from crime
• When was the industrial revolution in England?

  1750-1900
• During the years c.1700 to c.1900, authorities in Britain were concerned about crimes like poaching, smuggling, and highway robbery, which disrupted trade and threatened landowners' power
• Poaching was considered a social crime, leading to the 1723 Black Act that made hunting deer, rabbits, or hare punishable by death, but it was later repealed in 1823
• Smuggling of goods like tea, cloth, wine, and alcohol into Britain without paying customs duty was common, with the Hawkhurst Gang being one of the notable smuggling groups
• Highway robbery increased as handguns became easier to obtain and horses cheaper, but declined with improved road surfaces, introduction of mounted patrols, and changes in the banking system
• Highway robbery involved attacking stagecoaches, and notable highwaymen like Jack Shepherd and Dick Turpin were executed for their crimes
• Why was smuggling hard to stop?

  • Ordinary people would ignore smuggling because they benefitted and were happy to pay lower prices for goods.
  • Smugglers were regarded as heroes.
  • Many locals in coastal areas collaborated with smuggler gangs, maintaining boats and hiding cargo until it was sold on.
  • Smugglers worked at night and there were miles of unpoliced coastline where smugglers could easily store their cargo in secret.
  • The smuggling gangs used violence and were feared.
  • There were not enough customs officers to enforce the law.
• What was the most famous smuggling gang?

  Hawkhurst
• What was introduced to combat highway robbery?

  In 1772, the death penalty was introduced for anyone found armed and disguised on a high road.
• During the years c.1700 to c.1900, authorities in Britain were more concerned about activities that threatened landowners and employers, rather than heresy and witchcraft, as religious and supernatural beliefs declined and were replaced by scientific understanding
• In the early 19th century, British landowners and politicians feared revolution led by the working classes following the French Revolution, punishing protests harshly and viewing every protest as a potential threat to their power
• The decline of witchcraft in the 18th and 19th centuries led to the Witchcraft Act being repealed in 1736, decriminalizing witchcraft as a capital crime and mostly regarding it as a crime of deception carried out by confidence artists
• The Tolpuddle Martyrs' story in Dorset involved labourers led by George Loveless who formed a union to demand better pay after their wages were cut several times, resulting in their arrest, sentencing to transportation to Australia, and eventual pardon in 1836 after public pressure and protest
• In the 18th century, policing in London was carried out by parish constables, watchmen, and soldiers, but in the 19th century, Britain established its first professional and full-time police force in London, known as the Bow Street Runners
• The Bow Street Runners were volunteers who patrolled London's streets in the evening, aiming to prevent crime, investigate crimes, and present evidence in court for a cost
• The Fielding brothers, Henry and John, established the Bow Street Runners in 1748 to improve policing in London, introducing a horse patrol to stop highwaymen and contributing to the end of highway robbery
• The success of the Fielding brothers led to the establishment of the Middlesex and Westminster detective offices, and in 1792, the Middlesex Justices Act further expanded detective offices with constables employed to detect crimes and arrest suspects
• The Metropolitan Police Act introduced in 1829 by Home Secretary Sir Robert Peel replaced the system of watchmen and parish constables in London with a larger professional and full-time police force, aiming to deter crime by having a visible presence on the streets
• The Metropolitan Police uniform was designed to look civilian rather than military, with a blue overcoat representing 'service' and a top hat representing 'authority', to differentiate the police from the army
• Reasons for introducing the Metropolitan Police in 1829 included the government's aim to reduce crime without limiting people's freedom, increasing government involvement in people's lives, public support due to rising crime rates, and the need to maintain order after the French Revolution
• After the success of the Metropolitan Police in London, changes across Britain included the allowance for towns to set up their own police forces, the establishment of a detective unit within the Metropolitan Police, and the introduction of a national crime records system to share information about crime across different police forces
• What were the Bow Street Runners?

  The first attempt to improve policing in London was made by brothers Henry and John Fielding, who were magistrates at Bow Street Magistrates Court. In 1748 they decided that more men were needed on London’s streets to deter criminals. They established the Bow Street Runners.
• What did the Bow Street Runners do?

  The Bow Street Runners were a group of volunteers that patrolled London’s streets in the evening. Their presence aimed to prevent crime, but they also investigated crimes and presented evidence in court for a cost. Thieftakers were the main officials. In 1754, the Bow Street Runners introduced fees and began to collect rewards from victims if they were successful in achieving a conviction. By 1785, the Bow Street Runners were paid directly by the government.
• What was the impact of the fielding brothers?

  The Fielding brothers were the first to contribute to an organised system of preventing crime and street policing in London in the 18th century. Their objectives were deterrence, being organised and collecting surveillance. Their success led to the Middlesex and Westminster detective offices being set up. In 1792, the Middlesex Justices Act established further offices, each with six constables employed to detect crimes and arrest suspects.
• When was the metropolitan police introduced?

  1829
• 1835: Towns were allowed to set up their police forces under the Municipal Corporations Act
• 1839: In London, the Bow Street Runners and the Metropolitan Police joined together; counties across Britain were allowed to set up their police forces and employ one officer per 1,000 people under the County Police Act
• 1842: The Metropolitan Police introduced a detective unit called the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) with 200 detectives to investigate and solve crime
• 1856: The police force became compulsory for all towns and counties to set up, no longer regarded with suspicion
• 1869: A national crime records system was established to save and share information about crime across different police forces
• 1878: The Metropolitan Police detective unit was reorganized into the CID, a system used across Britain
• By 1884 there were 39,000 police officers and over 200 separate police forces in Britain.
• Who was Robert Peel?

  Sir Robert Peel was appointed Home Secretary in 1822. He was determined to reduce the amount of crime by improving the conditions in prisons and introducing a professional police force.
• What did Robert Peel Suggest for the police force?

  • a centralised policing system with similar standards across London
  • a police force that did not use weapons so that it was different from the army
  • a non-military uniform so that the British people did not think they were being controlled by the government
• Label this Police officer from the industrial period

  They wore non-military uniforms so it looked like the government was not controlling the population.

  A) Top Hat

  B) Rattle

  C) Truncheon

  D) Handcuffs

  E) Blue overcoat