MEDIEVAL- Later Middle Ages

Medieval- Later Middle Ages

most important king in the later middle ages who made lots of changes

Henry II

when did Henry II become king

1154

two new crimes during Later Middle Ages

• statute of labourers

• heresy

when was statute of labourers passed in gov

1351

STATUTE OF LABOURERS- what is it

introduced a maximum wage for workers and made it a crime to ask for more

STATUTE OF LABOURERS- what type of crime is it and why

crime against authority as peasants asking for higher wages goes against the social hierarchy

STATUTE OF LABOURERS- factors for change

• Black Death

STATUTE OF LABOURERS- how was Black Death a factor for change

• caused this change as peasants becoming richer was never a threat before, but now was as far fewer workers available due to number of deaths caused by plague so peasants could demand higher wages for their work

• ruling classes worried about peasants becoming wealthier and more powerful and didn’t want to pay higher wages so used this to protect their interests

STATUTE OF LABOURERS- what does this law show about who can influence the law

• shows that the government are getting more power over introducing laws as they are the ones who passed this

• also shows the wealthy’s influence on laws as they are able to make them to their own interests while disregarding the interests of lower class people in society

STATUTE OF LABOURERS- changes

• passed by parliament and not the king so shows a change in power and the role of parliament in law-making growing compared to Normans who only had the king making laws

• workers treated worse; removal of rights

STATUTE OF LABOURERS- continuity

• in Norman period, ruling class also introduced laws to protect their own interests at the expense of the peasants (e.g. forest laws)

HERESY- what is it

holding a set of beliefs different to those of the time

HERESY- laws against it introduced dates

• 1382

• 1401

• 1414

HERESY- what did the 1401 law do and what did it symbolise

meant heretics could be burned at the stake as punishment; symbolised purifying a corrupt soul

HERESY- what type of crime was it (both)

• deterrent

• crime against authority as its going against the church and its authority

HERESY- what did the 1414 law introduce

gave justices of the peace power to arrest suspects and take them to the church courts for trial

HERESY- factors for change

• role of the church- 13th and 14th century growing number of people questioning practice and beliefs of the Christian Church

  • wanted reforms

  • disagreed with sacrament of bread and wine

  • translated Bible into English so regular people could read it

• clergy felt undermined by the new ideas

• role of king- keen to support the church against reformers for their own control and benefit

HERESY- changes

• church had less power; laws supporting them still being made but shows that more people are trying to go against the church and strong methods need to be used to stop people from doing this

• equality between church and parliament and parliament has to protect the church and church now working with JP’s and local authorities; equality

HERESY- continuity

• laws about heresy existed in Norman times as well

all law inforcement reforms during the later middle ages and what type of reform they are

• Assize of Clarendon- justice system

• Justices of Eyre- justice system

• JP’s- policing

• Coroners- policing

law enforcement continuity

• hue and cry stayed

• towns divided into new areas called wards

• A-S tithingmen became known as constables

ASSIZE OF CLARENDON- when

1166

ASSIZE OF CLARENDON- what did it do

• reorganised the court and introduced juries of presentment

• set up prisons for those accused and waiting for trial

ASSIZE OF CLARENDON- what did juries of presentment do

didn’t hear evidence but came to court informed of local knowledge relevant to the crime

ASSIZE OF CLARENDON- factors for change

• role of King Henry II

• growth of towns

ASSIZE OF CLARENDON- how was Henry II a factor for change

he introduced this

ASSIZE OF CLARENDON- how was growth of towns a factor for change

as towns got bigger, it was harder for people to known everyone and was easier for people to get away with crimes, so more committed, so prisons and jury helped tackle this

ASSIZE OF CLARENDON- changes

• prison system- new

• jury of presentment now didn’t make choices, just had local knowledge

ASSIZE OF CLARENDON- continuity

• A-S and Normans also had juries but now bigger and more important

• power of the king- king wanted to make change and to make laws and so did; shows he still has power despite the rising power of the gov and parliament

JUSTICES OF EYRE- who introduced it

Henry II as well

JUSTICES OF EYRE- what do they do

• visit each county twice a year to hear the most severe cases

• standard written instructions issued to local sheriffs meaning the whole system more unified

JUSTICES OF EYRE- what happened to less serious crimes

old practices continued

JUSTICES OF EYRE- factors for change and what it means

role of the king- he set up a more unified system with more people enforcing the law helping to keep his crown stable and his people happy, leading to prosperity

JUSTICES OF EYRE- change

• more people with official positions in enforcing the law (sheriffs, Justices of Eyre), so less community enforcement and power of the people lower

• more serious crimes being committed so more people needed to enforce

JUSTICES OF EYRE- continuity

• manor courts still in place, which had been used since A-S period to deal with disputes between lord and local people

• decisions still made directly by the king who still has lots of power

JUSTICES OF THE PEACE (JPs)- what years were changes to this happen and who were these changes made by

• 1195- Richard I

• 1327- Edward III

JUSTICES OF THE PEACE (JPs)- what did Richard I do in 1195

appointed knights to keep the kings peace in unruly areas

JUSTICES OF THE PEACE (JPs)- what did Edward III do in 1327

extended this system to all areas of the country

JUSTICES OF THE PEACE (JPs)- who would be appointed as JPs

• men who are ‘good and lawful’

• appointed by the king and selected due to wealth and status

• many local landowners so had reputation for being harsh on poachers to protect their own wants

JUSTICES OF THE PEACE (JPs)- what did they do

• met four times a year to carry out duties and enforce the law

JUSTICES OF THE PEACE (JPs)- factors for change

• role of king

• growth of towns

JUSTICES OF THE PEACE (JPs)- why is role of the king a factor for change

• Richard I appointed the knights to this role as he wanted to maintain his power as society grew and people becoming unruly; could be threat

• Edward III then had a role in extending this

• both kings appointed these people based on their wealth and status so therefore would be fully loyal to the king and would want to protect the kings interests

JUSTICES OF THE PEACE (JPs)- how is growth of towns a factor for change

• as towns grew it became harder to keep peace and catch criminals as not everyone knew one another so easier for people to get away with crime

• led to JP’s as the king wanted to combat this problem to maintain peace

JUSTICES OF THE PEACE (JPs)- change

• now had power and policed people rather than people of the towns policing themselves; shift towards crime being dealt with by gov rather than community

• weren’t assigned this role by local communities but by king and parliament; king and parliament now have more power and control

• less localised and more national and centralised policing and law enforcement

JUSTICES OF THE PEACE (JPs)- continuity

• hue and cry still in place just changed slightly as people split into wards

• shows that there is still some community law enforcement

• kings peace existed in A-S and Norman times too

CORONERS- when introduced and by who

1194 by Richard I

CORONERS- why introduced

to deal with situations where there was a suspicious death with no natural explanation

CORONERS- factors for change and explain

• role of king- he put coroners in place to deal with suspicious deaths; his thoughts and so put them into action

• growth of towns- as towns get bigger its harder for everyone to know everyone and track down murderers so to tackle this coroners help find killer

CORONERS- change

• A-S and Normans never had this problem as towns and villages so small culprit of murder could easily be found; now this unable so coroner needed

• more power to the king

Later Middle Ages punishments

• continued to rely on mixture of fines, corporal punishments and execution

• hanged, drawn and quartered

• fines

• maiming

• execution

• property confiscated

• stocks and pillories

Later Middle Ages punishments continuity

• still used lots of same punishments

• fines

• maiming

• execution

• property confiscated

• stocks and pillories

HANGED, DRAWN, QUARTERED- what is the punishment

person would be semi-strangled (hanged), then revived, his abdomen cut open and intestines drawn out (drawn); after death his limbs would be severed (quartered) and transported to different areas of the country for display

HANGED, DRAWN, QUARTERED- what was this a punishment for

more serious crimes like high treason

HANGED, DRAWN, QUARTERED- type of punishment

deterrent

HANGED, DRAWN, QUARTERED- factors for change and explain

• increase in treason- more counts of treason against king so needed to be controlled

• role of king- king wanted to protect his power and authority which was becoming increasingly threatened so to stop this and to increase power and authority this new punishment was introduced

what type of punishment is fines

• retribution

• deterrent

what type of punishment is maiming

• deterrence

• revenge

what type of punishment is execution

• deterrent

what type of punishment is property confiscated

• retribution

what type of punishment is stocks and pillories

• humiliation

• deterrent