CRIME AND PUNISHMENT AND WHITECHAPEL

How was Anglo Saxon society structured?

(500 - 1500)

-The King

-The Nobles

-The Church

-The Peasants

What types of crimes were there in Anglo Saxon society

-Crime against a person-Murder

-Crime against property-Arson

-Crime against authority-Treason

How was law enforcement maintained in Anglo Saxon society?

Through the people who lived in villages and felt a sense of responsibility to care for each other

What was poaching?

Hunting on other people’s land without paying hunting rights

-It was seen as a social crime because it was considered to be acceptable to many people

What were the Forest Laws?

Laws created by William to protect the hunting rights of the nobility which meant villagers were removed from their own land and that only those who paid were allowed to hunt in the royal forest

What percentage of England became Royal Forest?

What were the forest laws seen as?

-30%

-Unfair

What was the Murdrum Fine?

If an Anglo Saxon murdered a Norman and the culprit wasn’t found the whole village would be forced to pay a fine

What was a tithing?

-A group all men over 12 years old were forced to join

-If one member of the tithing committed a crime all the members would be held responsible

-This was done to enforce collective responsibility

What was Hue and Cry?

When the villagers were expected to chase after a criminal

How did the Normans change law enforcement?

-They added trial by combat as a way of settling disputes in which two people would fight to the death

-They also added foresters to police the royal forests

How did the role of local communities change from the medieval period to the Norman period?

-From the 1250s parish constables who were unpaid volunteers were tasked with catching criminals as hue and cry seemed to not work

-Night watches were introduced to patrol streets and hand over any suspected criminals to the constable

How did the role of government appointed officials change?

-Justices of the peace were introduced after the Justices of the Peace act of 1361

-They had the power to hear minor crimes in small courts 4 times a year and were appointed by the monarch

-Sheriff’s role expanded and from 1285 they were allowed to form a posse to catch criminals

What was the aim of punishment ?

-Deterrent

-Reform

-To keep people safe

What punishment was used in the Anglo Saxon era?

-Compensation to victims of crimes and murders

-Capital and Corporal Punishment

What punishment was used in the Norman Era?

-Increase in capital and corporal punishment

-Breaking forest laws was punished harshly through hanging etc

-Wergild ended and fines were paid to the king instead

What punishment was used in the Later Medieval Period?

-Use of capital punishment gradually decreased

-Corporal punishments were still used

-More crimes were punished through fines

How did Medieval Punishments vary depending on the person?

-Wergild paid depended on the status of the individual

What were church courts used for?

How did people prove themselves innocent?

-To judge members of the clergy

-By reciting a passage from the Bible

How did people take advantage of church courts?

People memorised the passage from the Bible as to claim benefit of the clergy as church courts usually offered more lenient punishments than normal courts

What was Sanctuary?

Protection from the law offered by some churches whereby the priest would report the crime but no one was allowed to arrest the criminal unless he hadn’t left the country after 40 days

What was trial by ordeal?

Methods used by courts when someone’s innocence or guilt could not be decided by the court

What was trial by Hot Water?

What was trial by Water?

What was Trial by Bread

-When someone’s hand was placed in hot water and if it healed they were innocent

-When someone was submerged in water and if they sank they were innocent

-The priest was fed bread and if he choked he was guilty

EARLY MODERN PERIOD

1500-1700

How did the increased population affect things in the Early Modern Period

meant there was more urbanisation which led to high unemployment which meant more people committed crimes in order to survive

What was Enclosure?

-When open land and fields were broken down into privately owned pieces of land for sheep and farming

-This was done to ensure all land was used to the fullest

What was the Games Act

-An act made in 1671 which made it illegal to take food from privately owned pieces of land

How did religion change in the Early Modern Period?

-In 1534 Henry VIII away from the catholic church and created his own protestant church

-After this reign England went from protestant back to Catholic and vice versa

-Hence the crime against authority was constantly changing and heresy and treason became interlinked as the monarch led the church

What was a vagabond?

Why was there an increase in vagrants?

-An unemployed, homeless person wandering round looking for work

-Increased unemployment and high prices

What was the 1547 vagrancy act?

The able-bodied without work for more than 3 days had letter v branded on them and sold as slaves

What was the Poor Laws(1601)?

The deserving poor were given poor relief by the local parish while the undeserving poor were whipped or sent to correction houses

What is smuggling?

When people bring goods into the country illegally

Why did smuggling increase?

Import taxes were introduced which meant people had to pay to bring things in hence people tried to find loopholes

Why were laws made against witchcraft?

People saw it as harmful and dangerous and most were afraid of it

How did law enforcement stay the same in the Early Modern Period?

-Hue and cry continued

-There was still no national police force

How did law enforcement change in the early modern period?

-Watchmen were introduced who were unpaid volunteered men who had to watch the streets

-Town constables were introduced who were wealthy respected individuals

What punishments continued in the Early modern period?

-fines

-Stocks and pillories

-Hanging

-Burning

What was the Bloody code?

What was the aim of this?

-Between 1688 and 1825 the number of crimes punishable by death increased by 200 and this included minor crimes like stealing bread

-To frighten people and act as a deterrent

Why were criminals transported?

-transportation was still a serious punishment but gave criminals a chance at rehabilitation while still acting as a deterrent ,thus showing the changing attitudes

- provided an alternative to execution for petty crime which some began to think was too harsh, especially after the Bloody Code

How many people were transported and for how long?

-Between 50,000 and 80,000 people were transported

-They were transported for seven to fourteen years

What happened after the Pope called on Catholics to depose Elizabeth I?

Harsher laws were imposed on Catholics but after Elizabeth I death people thought that things would change but when James I came into power nothing did

Who was the leader of the gunpowder plotters?

Robert Catesby

What day did the gunpowder plotters decide to kill James I?

5th November 1605

Who did the gunpowder plotters want to make queen?

James’ daughter, Elizabeth so they could brainwash her to like Catholics

Who received a letter?

Lord Monteagle who was given a letter warning him to not attend the state opening of parliament

-He gave it to James’ spymaster

How did the plotters get court?

The plotters rented a house directly under the house of parliament which was ordered to be searched by Robert Cecil

-Guy Fawkes was arrested and tortured until he gave up the names of his co-conspirators

When were the plotters hung, drawn and quartered?

1606

Why the Gunpowder plotters punished so harshly?

-They had committed treason

-There was no police force at the time so in order to enforce the law they had to put into place harsh punishments

-Meant to deter other Catholics from rising up against the king

What were the witch hunts?

A period during the English civil war when people actively searched for witches

-Many women were consequently hanged as a result of this

What reasons were there for the witch hunts of 1645-47?

Political issues- The control of local authorities was heavily weakened for instance the war stopped people from being able to travel to judge cases as well as this the divide between the Catholics and the Protestants got worse as the Puritan Parliamentarians accused the Royalists of witchcraft

Influence by people-James I wrote a book called Daemonologie in 1597 which outlined his hatred for witches and because it was written by the king it was seen as credible

Social issues -The war left many women on their own as the men went to fight in the English Civil War which as a result made them look more suspicious and capable of witchcraft.

Who was Mathew Hopkins?

A self-proclaimed witch finder employed by the justices of the peace to find witches in Essex and East Anglia for which he received large sums of money if he did

How many people were hanged because of Mathew Hopkins work?

-112 out of the 300 people he prosecuted

How did he identify these ‘witches’

-Unusual marks on the body

-Witness accounts

-When thrown in water the accused floats

INDUSTRIAL PERIOD

1700-1900

Why was there increased highway robbery in the Industrial Period?

-improved roads led to more people travelling thus making them more susceptible to robbery

-increased trade between towns meant more goods and money were transported by road

.Many roads were isolated thus making it easier to rob others without getting caught

Why did poaching increase in the industrial period?

How did the government stop this?

-Poaching gangs began to work on a larger scale

-1723 Waltham Black Act which made poaching a capital crime

Why did Smuggling increase in the Industrial Period?

-Smugglers made lots of money by smuggling these goods illegally without tax into the country and selling them for high prices

What was the name of the gang that smuggled

The Hawkhurst Gang which smuggled huge volumes of goods

Why did Witchcraft stop being a crime?

-Economic and social changes led to more prosperity and political stability

-Some still believed in witches and the Devil, but others (especially the educated) became less superstitious.

-The Royal Society, set up by Charles II, led to increased scientific experiments explaining things people thought to be unnatural phenomenas

Who were the Tolpuddle Martyrs?

A group of farm workers who formed a friendly society to to protest about their low wages compared to other farmers

How did the government deal with the Tolpuddle Martyrs?

In order to avoid losing control of their workers the government arrested them on the grounds that they took unlawful oaths

Where were the Tolpuddle Martyrs sent to?

They were transported to Australia for 7 years to show other workers what would happen to them if they protested

Why were the government forced to release the Tolpuddle Martyrs?

-There were mass protests and a petition of 200,000 signatures was signed to release them

-In 1836 the home secretary relieved them of their sentence

What was the significance of the Tolpuddle Martyrs?

-Shows how authorities had little regard for the workers and only cared for the employers

-Shows the impact of public opinion and how other workers were encouraged to fight

How did law enforcement continue in the Industrial Period?

Watchmen and parish constables were continued to be used to deal with minor crimes

Who were the Bow Street Runners?

A group made by Henry Fielding in 1749 to tackle crime

-At first they were accepted payments but they later got paid by the government

How did the Tolpuddle Martyrs impact policing?

-They introduced new methods of finding criminals and become the first ‘detectives’

-They began to patrol major roads on horse

-They shared info on criminals with others almost like an intelligence service

What was the 1856 police Act?

This act made professional police forces, which were based on the model of the Metropolitan Police, compulsory across the whole country.

Why did the use of the bloody code increase in the Industrial period?

What did the number of crimes punishable by death increase to?

-Growing crime rates

-222 crimes became punishable by death

Why did the Bloody code end up not being used in 1825?

The changing attitudes in the 19th century meant people saw corporal and capital punishments as inhumane

Why did the use of Transportation end?

-Gold was discovered in Australia which made it an attractive place to go so they didn’t want criminals

-More prisons had been built to replace transportation

What was the 1774 Gaol Act?

An act made to improve health and sanitation in prisons

Who made the Gaol Act?

John Howard

What did John Howard observe on his visit to prisons?

-prisoners were not separated by gender or type of crime

-many prisoners were dying of illness and disease

-too few people were employed to make the prisons secure and safe

What reforms did John Howard suggest?

-clean and hygienic conditions

-running water

-improved standard of food

What did Elizabeth Fry do?

-She visited Newgate Prison in 1813 and set up education classes to reform prisoners

-She provided clothes and bedding and began to teach inmates skills such as knitting

What was the name of the new prison built which incorporated the separate system?

Pentonville Prison

What are the features of Pentonville prison?

-Walls were very thick to prevent prisoners talking to each other.

-Areas where prisoners were sent for fresh air and exercise were masked to prevent communication

How big was one Pentonville prison cell?

4m by 2m

Why did prisons use the separate system?

-For rehabilitation: Solitude was thought to be the best way to provide prisoners with an opportunity to reflect on their crimes, turn to religion and therefore reform their ways.

-For retribution: The isolation and boredom made the criminal ‘pay’ for their crime.

-To act as a deterrent

What were the weaknesses of the separate system?

Continuous isolation led to mental illness and a high suicide rate.

Who was Robert Peel?

The home secretary who ended the bloody code and reformed the prison system as well as passing the 1829 Metropolitan police act

What did Robert Peel reduce the number of crimes punishable by death to?

100

What were the features of Metropolitan police officers?

-Recruits carefully selected and well trained. It was a full-time and fairly well-paid job.

-Members had a uniform so they could be identified

-Members were usually unarmed and were trained to use minimum physical force only as a last resort.

What was the silent system?

When inmates were locked in their cells, given basic food and basic sleeping conditions. When they were given work or hard exercises to do and (giving the system its name) this all had to be done in silence.

Where was the first juvenile prison built?

What where they expected to do?

-In Borstal

-Learn educational skills while being treated like prisoners

Why were the Metropolitan police introduced?

-Watchmen were accused of spending too long at their post and not enough time on the beat. The Local constables were only in their job for a year at a time and many saw it as a duty they had to do and get it over with, not something they really cared about

-Due to the French Revolution of the 1790s the aristocracy became wary and wanted a force to prevent this

-Rising Population became a breeding ground for criminals that needed to be stopped

Why did the Metropolitan Police become trusted?

People began to feel that they were doing what they were supposed to do and this helped people to begin to trust them.

MODERN DAY BRITIAN

1900-PRESENT

What new technology do police today use?

-CCTV

-Breathalysers to test drink drivers

-computer databases to store information

-Criminals are also monitored with electric tags rather than serving a whole sentence

How has the Welfare State changed attitudes towards punishment?

The government has become more concerned with the wellbeing of its people and tries to reform criminals rather than punishing them harshly

What act was introduced to combat racism?

1968 Race Relations Act

How did stopping crime change in the Modern Period?

-More houses have telephones so can report crime easier

-Advances in policing make it easier to catch criminals

What crimes continued in the Modern period?

-Crime against a person-murder , theft

-Crime against authority-terrorism

-Crime against property-shoplifting

How did theft by criminals change in the Modern Period?

The use of advanced technology means criminals can now:

-Identity theft-steal your bank details and take your money

-Cybercrime-Stealing data ,records etc from large companies

How has smuggling changed in the Modern Era?

In the past people used to smuggle goods like brandy and tea now people smuggle drugs and alcohol and even people

What new crimes were introduced in the Modern Era?

-Car Theft-1.3 million car crimes in 1996

-Human Trafficking

-Increased hooliganism due to football etc

-Hate crimes

Why did crime increase in the Modern Era?

-Better technology for criminals

-More things are classed as crimes

-More people report crimes today

How did the government deal with the the rise in car crime?

They introduced the Road Safety Act of 1967 which made it illegal to drive over 30mph

What acts were made in the modern period to give women more rights?

-1967 Abortions Act

-1991 Domestic violence Act

What act was made to combat islamophobia?

2016 Racial and Religious Hatred Act