1000-1066: Crime in Anglo-Saxon England

• In the year 1000, England's population is estimated to be between 1.7 and 2 million, with about 90% living in the countryside in small scattered hamlets on farmsteads, making them vulnerable to warfare, bad weather, poor harvests, and diseases
• In Anglo-Saxon England, the king, with the help of his nobility, is responsible for making the law, but the church also has a strong influence on ideas about crime and punishment
• Saxon Kings formally issue codes of law, with each new code allowing for the introduction of new laws, changes to existing laws, and strengthening of laws that are being ignored
• Law enforcement in Anglo-Saxon England is largely carried out through strong village communities and family ties
• Three important trends in crime and punishment during the Anglo-Saxon period:

  • Increasing power and influence of the king over crime and punishment
  • Growing role of the church in providing the opportunity for those who committed crimes to save their soul
  • Increased use of punishments, including capital punishment
• Between 978 and 1016, the King of England faces ongoing conflicts on the border with Scotland and Viking settlements in some regions of the country
• In circa 1000, the King of England tries to stop Viking attacks by making alliances with Normandy, gaining more control over his kingdom as the authority of English kings and the territory of England grow
• Britain in the year 1000 has a roughly three-tiered social structure of nobles, freemen, and serfs, all subject to the King's authority, with nobles closely connected to the King in governing the country
• In towns, such as Southampton, York, and London, growing in importance due to settled populations, trade connections with Europe, and the use of coined money, which facilitates trade
• In towns, the larger communities provide more opportunities to commit crimes against people and property, as not everyone knows each other, making it easier to get away with crimes
• Local communities are expected to take collective responsibility for upholding the law, with each area having a reeve, essentially a sheriff, who carries out decisions made by local courts
• Several great abbeys and smaller monasteries are founded in circa 1000, with church communities having a particular responsibility for moral crimes and crimes against the church