Crime And Punishment

• Who occupied England between 600-1000ce?

  Anglo-Saxons
• What were the three ways people were governed in the Anglo-Saxon period?

  The King, The Church, The Community
• What was a Tithing?

  A collection of 10 freemen over 12. If one committed a crime the others had to make sure he went to court or they would have to pay a fine for him.
• What was the hue and cry?

  System of catching criminals that meant everyone had a duty to raise the alarm if they saw a crime taking place.
• What was an oath helper?


  People who swore on your innocence
• What was Trial by Jury?

  consisted of men who knew both accuser and the accused. jury had to decide who was telling the truth based of versions of events
• What were trial by ordeals?

  Trial to see if the accused was innocent or guilty in the eye of god. The effect would be god's judgement.
• What were the trial by ordeals?

  Trial by hot iron, hot water, cold water, blessed bread
• What was trial by hot iron?

  Used for women, pick up hot weight, wait 3 days to see how it healed, healed well - innocent, healed badly - guilty
• What was trial by hot water?

  Men, hand in boiling water, wait 3 days, healed well - innocent, healed badly - guilty
• Trial by cold water?


  Men, lowered into cold water, sink - innocent, float - guilty
• What was trial by blessed bread?

  Clergy, eat blessed bread, choke - guilty, fine - innocent
• What is retribution?


  punishment inflicted on someone as vengeance for a wrong or criminal act
• What was a deterrent?


  Frightening or painful punishment to put people off offending
• Name 4 punishments in Anglo Saxon period?

  Wergild, capital punishment, corporal punishment, stocks and pillory
• What was wergild?


  amount paid by a wrongdoer to the family of the person he or she had injured or killed; "money for a man" - value of a person in money
• What was capital punishment?

  death penalty
• What was corporal punishment?

  physically hurting the criminal
• What were stocks and pillory?

  A method of public humiliation and again acted as a form of deterrent and rehabilitation. The pillory secured the offender by his arms and neck while the stocks pinned the criminal by his ankles.
• What was feudal system?

  the social system in Middle Ages
• What was trial by combat?


  The accuser would fight the accused and whoever won was telling the truth
• How did wergild change under William?

  Fines paid to kings officials instead
• What new crime was introduced under William?

  Poaching
• What was 'kinds peace' changed to under William?

  Kings mund
• When was the Assize of Clarendon? Who created it? What did it do?

  1166, Henry II, introduced trial by jury, common law, courts, prisons for criminals awaiting trial, shire reeves and justices in Eyre
• What were justices in Eyre?

  Judges who would visits each county twice a year for more serious cases
• What were the role of shire reeves?

  Bring criminals to justice locally
• What was benefit of the clergy?

  Anyone who could read the neck verse (psalm 51) from the bible had the right to be tried in a church court and possibly avoid execution
• What was sanctuary?

  A safe area in a church. Could stay there for 40 days then go to trial or exile
• What were the members of society that made up Anglo saxon England?

  King, earls, thegns, ceorls (freemen), peasant farmers, serfs
• What were punishments for breaking the forest law?

  Blinding, castration, mutilation, hanging
• What was the statute of labourers and when was it introduced?

  Law restricting wages for peasant farmers, 1351
• When did trial by ordeal end?

  1215
• What were the justices of the peace?

  In charge of administering national policies like poor laws and taxation and enforcing law and order in a county. They also maintained roads and sewers etc. Visited every county 4 times a year
• Who changed the religion of England from catholic to Protestant and why?

  Henry VIII because he couldn't divorce Catherine of Aragon
• What changes were made due to the change on the country's religion?

  Monarch was head of the church, gold and ornaments stripped from churches, language of services held in English
• How many Protestants did Mary I kill?

  283
• When was the gunpowder plot?

  5th November 1605
• What 3 new crimes appeared in 1500-1700?

  Smuggling, poaching, vagabondage
• What was smuggling?

  The illegal import of goods without paying import duties (import tax).