Crime 1B

• William the Conqueror introduced the feudal system, with those of Norman descent in the most powerful positions. Serfs were bound to work for their lord, and running away was a crime.
• William declared large areas of the countryside to be ‘royal forests’, including the ‘Nova Foresta’ (New Forest). This made it illegal to hunt or collect firewood in this area, and doing so became a new crime called poaching. This is an example of a ‘social crime’.
• Any man aged 14 or over who tried to avoid trial and punishment by running away was declared an outlaw. Women who ran away were said to be ‘waived’. It was not illegal for anyone to kill an outlaw or a waived woman.
• The Robin Hood story first appears in literature in the late 14th century, and is set in the forests of Norman England.
• In reality, gangs of outlaws were brutal. The Folville gang was a group of up to 50 outlaws in the 14th century. They carried out crimes including kidnaps, robberies, and extortion. Their leader was Eustace Folville.