History Paper 1 Crime and Punishment

What are the 3 categories of crime?

Crimes against property, Crimes against the person, Crimes against authority

What type of crimes did Churches enforce?

Moral crimes

What were the 2 key aims of punishment in Medieval England?

Deterrence and Retribution

Define Corporal Punishment

Punishment that caused physical harm to the body

What was capital punishment?

Punishment of death by execution

Give 1 example of a punishment designed to humiliate the offender

The stocks and pillories

What was the Wergild fine?

A fine paid by the accused to the victim or their family as an early form of compensation

What was a blood feud?

A fight between the victim and the accused, allowing the victim to punish the offender themselves, usually by killing them.

Who was responsible for creating laws and keeping the peace in Anglo Saxon England?

The King

What were the roles of Earls in Anglo Saxon England?

Enforcing the law in the land they were granted by the King

Who were sheriffs?

Noblemen selected to govern a shire on behalf of the King and the Earl.

What was the other name for a Sheriff?

Shire-reeve

What happened when someone raised the Hue and Cry?

The entire community was expected to stop what they were doing and chase after a suspect when a crime had been committed.

What would happen if someone refused to join the Hue and Cry?

They would become a prime suspect and the entire village would have to pay a fine

What was a Tithing?

A group of 10 men responsible for monitoring each other's behaviour and reporting any wrongdoings.

Why was reputation important in Anglo Saxon Trial by Jury?

The Jury's decision relied heavily on the accused's character, and whether they could be trusted in the community.

When was Trial by Ordeal used?

When a Jury could not decide whether the accused was innocent or guilty.

What were the 4 types of Trial by Ordeal?

Hot water, Cold water, Hot iron, Blessed bread

In what year, and by whom, was Trial by Ordeal abolished in England?

In 1215 by Pope Innocent III

Which type of Trial by Ordeal was used to test mainly women?

Hot iron

Which 2 types of Trial by Ordeal was used to test mainly men?

Hot water, Cold water

Who usually took Trial by Blessed Bread?

Priests.

What did trial by hot iron involve and how was guilt determined?

The accused had to carry a red hot piece of metal for 3 steps. Their hands were then bandaged for 3 days; if the wounds were healing nicely they were innocent. If not, they were guilty.

What did trial by hot water involve and how was guilt determined?

Accused had to put their hands in boiling water to retrieve an object. Hands then bandaged for 3 days. If healing nicely after 3 days - innocent. If not healing - guilty.

What was involved in trial by cold water and how was guilt determined?

Accused put into a river with a rope tied around their waist. If they sank they were innocent as they had been accepted by "God's pure water". If they floated they were guilty as they had been rejected by "God's pure water".

What was involved in Trial by Blessed Bread and how was guilt determined?

A priest blessed a piece of bread. The accused ate the bread. If they choked they were guilty. If they swallowed it they were innocent.

In what year did the Normans invade England?

1066

Why did William the Conqueror keep as much of the Anglo Saxon state as possible?

He wanted people to see him as the rightful successor of King Edward the Confessor

Give 2 examples of new laws introduced by King William after the Norman Invasion.

Forest Laws and Murdrum fine

Why was the Murdrum fine introduced?

To protect Normans from violence

What did the Forest Laws stipulate?

All forests were now owned by the King. Poaching and chopping down of trees was now illegal.

What is a social crime?

A crime that is not thought of as wrong by most people

Why was poaching seen as a social crime after the introduction of the forest laws?

It was seen as necessary for the survival of families as they had no other source of food

How did King William change the Wergild?

Fines were paid to the King instead of the victim or their family

What was the new type of trial introduced by the Normans?

Trial by combat

Why did the Normans build castles?

Prevent unrest, establish authority, enforce law and order

In what year were coroners introduced?

1194

What was the role of the coroner?

Investigate suspicious deaths and establish the cause of death

What was the role of the constable?

Maintain law and order and keep the peace in their community

What was the main difference between church courts and normal courts?

Church courts never issued the death penalty

How did people claim the benefit of the clergy?

Reciting the neck verse from the bible

How long was sanctuary supposed to last?

40 days

What was someone supposed to do after their time in sanctuary had ended?

Attend court or leave England

Define treason

The crime of betraying or plotting to betray the ruling monarch

What is heresy?

Believing in a different religion to the monarch

What did the Act of Supremacy state?

The monarch was now the head of the Church of England

When, and by who, was the Act of Supremacy first passed?

1534 by King Henry VIII

What was the Book of Common Prayer?

A book of Protestant church services written in English, released in 1549

What did the Act of Uniformity force people to do?

Use the Book of Common Prayer for worship

Who overturned the Act of Supremacy?

Queen Mary I

In what year did Elizabeth I become Queen?

1558

Who reinstated the Act of Supremacy after it was overturned?

Queen Elizabeth I

What did Elizabeth's new Act of Uniformity state?

Protestantism was the official religion of England. Anyone who refused to attend Protestant services would be fined.

What was the name given to people who refused to go to church?

Recusants

Who did Catholics want to replace Queen Elizabeth as monarch?

Mary Queen of Scots

Why did food prices increase rapidly between 1500 and 1560?

Rising population and poor harvests led to food shortages, meaning food was more expensive

In what year did the Dissolution of the Monasteries begin?

1536

Define vagabond

Someone who travelled around looking for work without a home or regular employment

What law forced vagabonds to work like slaves?

1547 Vagrancy Act

In what year was the 1547 Vagrancy Act repealed?

1549

What law against vagabonds was passed in 1572?

The 1572 Vagabonds Act

What did the 1572 Vagabonds Act state?

Vagabonds should have a hole burned through their ear. Repeat offenders should be executed.

Why were vagabonds punished so harshly?

They were seen as a threat to society

Why were vagabonds seen as a threat to society?

It was feared they would start rebellions and riots against the government

What were the 2 most common social crimes in the Early Modern Period?

Smuggling and Poaching

Define smuggling

The crime of moving something into or out of a country illegally

Why did smuggling increase in the Early Modern Period?

Taxes were placed on luxury goods so they were smuggled in to avoid paying taxes.

Define Poaching

The illegal killing of animals, usually on someone else's property

T or F: The Hue and Cry was still used as a method of law enforcement in Early Modern England?

True

Why did constables and watchmen become less effective in Early Modern England?

Population increased rapidly, making it more difficult to maintain law and order and track down criminals

What change was made to benefit of the clergy in 1512?

Any non-clergymen who committed certain crimes weren't allowed to claim benefit of the clergy. These offences were unclergyable.

How did benefit of the clergy change by 1536?

Clergymen were treated the same as non-clergymen if they committed an unclergyable offence

How did Sanctuary change in 1540?

The right to seek sanctuary was removed for serious crimes like arson or murder

In what year, and by who, was Sanctuary abolished?

King James I in 1623

T or F: In the 16th and 17th century, punishments still focussed on deterrence and retribution?

True

For what 2 reasons could someone go to prison in the Early Modern Period?

If they were in debt, or awaiting execution

In what year did English settlers begin to build colonies in North America?

1607

In what year did convict transportation to America begin?

1615

What did transportation involve?

Sending criminals to British colonies to work as a form of punishment

What was the bloody code?

A list of crimes punishable by death in the 17th and 18th century

How many offences were capital crimes in 1688?

50

Why did the bloody code make many minor crimes against property punishable by death?

Most of parliament were wealthy landowners who thought laws should protect property

In what year was Queen Elizabeth I excommunicated?

1570

What happened to Catholic Priests after 1570?

They were expelled from England

In what year did James I become King?

1603

What was the purpose of the gunpowder plot?

To take action against Catholic persecution.

Who led the gunpowder plot?

Robert Catesby

Who did the gunpowder plotters plan to kill?

King James I

How did the gunpowder plotters plan to kill James I?

Blowing up barrels of gunpowder underneath parliament

On what date was the gunpowder plot meant to take place?

5th November 1605

In what year was the gunpowder plot?

1605

Which Catholic was warned not to attend parliament on the day of the plot?

Lord Monteagle

How was the gunpowder plot found?

Lord Monteagle revealed the warning he had received to King James I and his advisors

Which gunpowder plotter was caught under the houses of parliament?

Guy Fawkes

What were the gunpowder plotters convicted of?

High Treason

In what year were the gunpowder plotters tried?

1606

How were the gunpowder plotters punished?

Hung, drawn and quartered

What was done with pieces of the gunpowder plotter's bodies?

They were put up around London

Why were the executions of the gunpowder plotters so brutal?

To send a clear message that treason wouldn't be tolerated and show the strength of Protestantism in England

What religion were the gunpowder plotters?

Catholic