Growth of towns

• The population of England in 1500 was around 2.5million; by 1700 it was around 5.5million. London’s population increased to 50000.
• Crimes like theft and fraud were more common in towns and cities as life was more anonymous and there was more obvious wealth on display.
• As more people moved from the countryside to towns to look for work, the number of people without steady jobs grew.
• More people together in crowded places meant more opportunities for crimes like pickpocketing.