crime and punishment

• what were the key developments in medieval England? c1000-c1500

  -the power and influence of the king over crime and punishment grew in this period

  -the power of the church increased in the earlier part of this period

  -the use of punishments, including capital punishment increased, helping to boost the visible power and authority of the King.
• describe two features of Anglo-Saxon society?

  -90% of the population lived in villages in the countryside, meaning the local community was important in helping to enforce law and order.

  -the social structure was clear and people did not mix between between classes: King, Nobles, Local Lords, Freemen(ceorls), and peasants.

  -the church also had important influence on crime and how god should punish.
• Name four types of crimes during medieval england:

  -Crimes against the person: assault or murder.

  -crimes against property: theft, robbery, arson etc..

  -Moral crimes: adultery.

  -crimes against authority: e.g a peasant starting a fight with a noble, an action that threatened the stability of the social structure
• How did Anglo-Saxon society change after 1066 under the Norman conquest?

  -as William faced many rebellions from his people and his nobles, the power of the king increased as he used brutal force to bring England (Anglo-saxons) under his control. e.g "harrying the north"

  -centrality of the church courts under the Normans where churchmen were treated more kindly by the church courts than they have been in normal law courts.
• what crimes did William introduce in 1066 and onwards?

  -Murdrum Fine: an example of how rulers make laws to protect themselves as Anglo-saxon resentment to the Normans was extreme it led to the crime of "Killing a Norman"

  -Social Crimes: crimes that the local community was willing to turn a blind eye too as it supported the struggling. e.g collecting firewood from the King's forest's as they regarded the forest laws as unfair and unjust.
• what crimes did William introduce in 1066 and onward?

  -poaching: became a crime as it now became illegal to hunt for animals for food on certain land. reducing the amount of common land meant many had to choose between breaking the law and going hungry.

  -Forest Laws: 30% of England would be protected by the royal forest. This became a serious offence and a threat to authority. Crimes included: killing deer, cutting down trees, and living in the forests.
• why did William introduce the Forest Laws specifically?

  -to add to the kings control as the normans were vastly outnumbered.

  -fines and special taxed added to the monarch's wealth and therefore his power.

  -helped william maintain law and order in lawless areas.
• How far did crime change in the medieval period? ( c1000-c15000 )

  -the growth of towns and more of a population meant there was more opportunities for crime than in a small village. Led to more centralised approach was needed to help deal with crime/new types of crime.

  -The black death, hit in 1348 and killed around a third of the population it meant that far less peasants to work, they could demand higher wages for their work from the lords. However the ruling classes were worried about the peasants becoming more powerful so they made laws to control it.
• what led to laws against heresy in the 13th-14th century?

  -people were beginning to question the practises and beliefs of the christian church as they wanted the church to be reformed and the bible translated to English so that the ordinary people could understand. The clergy felt undermined by these new ideas and medieval kinds were keen to support the church.
• Name four medieval crimes between the period 1154-1500.

  -After the black death it became a crime to ask for higher wages and move to a new area to look for work. These were crimes under the Statute of Labourers, passed in 1351. This showed the ruling classes using the law to create new definitions of crime and passing laws to protect their own interest.

  -laws against heresy in 1382,1401 and 1414 as Medieval kings tried to protect the church from new ideas put forward by reformers. The heretics as punishment could be burned at the stake, imprisoned etc.
• name one more medieval crime between the period 1154-1500?

  -crime of high treason: introduced by the fact that the medieval kings felt more challenged by their people and parliament at the time. This was plotting to kill or betray the King. it was seen as the most serious of crimes, against god as well as the king -- a crime against authority .
• overall summary of crime in medieval england?

  -new crimes has been defined as a result of social change.

  -the kind and church play a large role in defining crime in this period

  -growth of towns mean more opportunities for crime, which led to the changes in law enforcement.
• what became a crime in the early modern period?

  -Witchcraft, in an atmosphere of religious change and political upheaval , people looked for solutions to their problems and identified individuals in their communities as witches. became a crime in 1542 under Henry VIII. James I then gave the death penalty to anyone found guilty.

  -smuggling, another new social crime. as the government introduced import duties(taxes) on tea and alcohol. People were not willing to pay higher prices for these goods and would pay those instead who smuggle the goods in and sell for at a lower price.
• what did Oliver Cromwell do?

  in the 1650s, Cromwell who was a puritan ( strict outlook on life ) he made many activities that were seen as ordinary were defined as crimes. for example, drinking.. leading to bad behaviour
• what were the changes in crime from the Medieval period 1000-1500 to the Early Modern period 1500-1700?

  -new crimes are defined: witchcraft, vagabondange and smuggling.

  -during the 1650s, due to Oliver Cromwell we see ordinary activities such as drinking being defined as crimes.

  -crime rate increases in the 1500s, then decreases by the late 1600s

  -fear of crime increases which leads to more activities being defined as crimes and punished more harshly.
• what were the continuities in crime from the Medieval period 1000-1500 to the Early Modern period 1500-1700?

  -crimes against the person, property and authority continue.

  -some crimes are still ignored by the general population as social crimes.
• England had a range of medieval punishments that remained largely the same throughout this period, although the types of punishment changed
• Aims of medieval punishment


  • Retribution
  • Deterrence
  • To keep people safe
• Types of medieval punishment


  • Stocks
  • Fines and compensation
  • Corporal punishments
  • Capital punishment
• Changes in types of medieval punishment


  1. Anglo-Saxon: Fines and compensation were most common, corporal punishments were also common, capital punishment was rarely used

  2. Norman: Use of capital and corporal punishments rose dramatically, more offences became capital crimes, the Wergild system was ended

  3. Later medieval: Use of capital punishment gradually decreased, corporal punishments were still widely used, fines became more common
• The Church influenced punishment during both the Anglo-Saxon and later Middle Ages, wanting the aim of punishment to involve reforming the criminal
• Social status and punishment


  • Wergild for nobles was a huge sum, Wergild for a serf was very little
  • Commoners were usually hanged for murder while nobles were usually beheaded
• The Norman invasion was not welcomed by the Anglo-Saxons and there was much resistance in the first few years. Harsh punishments carried out in public were seen by the Normans as the best way to make people behave
• Capital punishment


  Killing the criminal
• Corporal punishment


  Physically hurting the criminal
• Retribution


  Making a criminal suffer for the crime committed
• Deterrence


  Trying to prevent others from carrying out crime
• Irish immigrants :

  Irish migrants had been settling in Whitechapel since the 1840s and by c.1870 there were well-established Irish lodging houses. It was mostly Irish workers who were employed at the docks as ‘navvies’(navigators); doing labouring jobs on canals, railways and roads; or working as dockers on the Thames. They were characterised as being drunk and violent