Early Modern England, c1500-c1700

Name common EM crimes.

Petty theft, violent crimes still a minority.

People who disagreed with the monarch were persecuted and accused of heresy and treason.

Witchcraft and vagabondage became criminal offences.

Name common EM methods to enforce the law.

Parish constable, the hue and cry.

What courts were commonly used in the EMP?

Royal judges and manour courts.

What where common EMP punishments?

Most people believed the best punishment were savage terrifying ones that would detter people from comitting them, so corporal and capital punishments were very common.

What was religion like?

Religious changes caused by Henry VIII during the 1530s caused widespread unrest and confusion.

This was followed by a period of religious upheaval as the country switched from Protestant to Catholic monarchs and back again, with both sides accusing each other of being in league with the devil.

This helped increase the public belief in evil and supernatural explanations for events.

What political change occured?

The civil war 1642-1649 saw the parliament fight and beat the kings forces, ending in the execution of Charles I.

Many people felt ‘the world was turned upside down and created long lasting feelings of insecurity and fear.

What were landowners attitudes like in the EMP?

They encouraged laws that defended their rights, power and property against those they regarded as a threat. They regarded the poor with suspicion. They felt threatened by the growing number of poor people and wanted to keep them in their place.

How did population change in the EMP?

There was a large increase in numbers, with London’s population being around 11,000 people. This meant it was much harder to find work.

How did the hue and cry work in the EMP?

It became less effective as the rising population saw a decrease in small villages, and they were therefore harder to organise.

How did Henry VII change benefit of the clergy?

If you claim it once, you get branded so can’t claim it again.

How does Edward VI change benefit of the clergy?

Murder is exempt.

How did sanctuary change in the EMP?

Henry VIII stood self-imposed exile, and it was completely abolished in 1623.

Why were the gunpowder plotters treated so harshly?

During this time, heresy was connected with treason, which were the two must serious crimes.

What gunpowder plotters convicted of?

Heresy - a crime against the church and an offence against God.

Treason - a challenge to the authority of the ruler.

Why were heresy and treason connected in the EMP?

All monarchs from Henry VIII onwards (except Mary I) were head of the church of England.

Anyone who challanged the rulers authority as head of church was therefore guilty of heresy (crime against church and God) and treason (challanged to authority of ruler).

How the gunpowder plotters punished?

They were hung, drawn and quartered.

What are vagabonds?

Someone who was transient (unemployed, moving about looking for work), poor, and homeless.

Why didn't vagabonds have any forms of charity?

During the dissolution of the monasteries, Henry VIII closed down Abbie's and alms houses.

Why did Protestants see vagabonds as suspicious?

They believe its a sin to be idle/lazy and were suspicious of them.

What did people think vagabonds would do?

Come into your village and committ crime. It was though they chose to committ crime rather than working.

What did Thomas harmen do in 1567?

Wrote a pamphlet / caviar (warning) that vagabonds will come into your town and take your money and committ crime. He wrote they had their own secret language and travelled in gangs.

How did the invention of the printing press in 1476 increase belief in vagabondage?

It became common to see articles and images of vagabondage with negative views, writing about how they were thieves etc. even if you were illiterate out could still see pictures which increased fear and hatred.

What was a common punishment for vagabondage?

Whpping.

In 1598 the law stated vagrants should be whipped and returned to the village of origin. If they didn't mend their ways they should be sent to houses of correction, be banished from the country or even excecuted.

How many deaths did MH cause?

At least 200 women.

When and where did MH start his witch hunt?

In 1645(-47) MH and his assistant John Stearne started searching East Anglia for witches.

Who was MH’s first victim? What happened to her?

Elizabeth Clark, 80 years old. She was stripped, shaved and search for and marks, where the devils sucked you blood, or a devils teet that was linked to your familiar.

She was tortured and MH used the method of ‘waking the witch.’ She was kept awake until she confessed and named another witch in her coven.

Who did Elizabeth Clark name during her interrogation? What did this lead to?

15 year old Rebecca West who was also tortured and named her mother.

Thiss lead to the arrest of 36 other women.

How much money did MH make per witch?

One pound (equivalent to 400 loaves of bread) from the local magistrates.

What is the method of dunking the witch? How was it rigged?

Submerging the accused underwater. If they floated, they were a witch, if they sunk they were innocent, but were dead.

It was rigged so people were dressed in floaty clothing, such as dresses, with air pockets to help them float, and rope tied around their waist that could be used to pull them up.

What happened to MH?

Reverrand John gaulle had enough and claimed MH himself was a witch and he vanished in the summer of 1647.

When was witchcraft made an offence?

In 1542 by Henry VIII.

Why did people trust MH?

His self appointed title - Witchfinder General

His method of finding a with ensured anyone he accused would be guilty - we all have moles and freckles or a spider in our house. These successful ‘captures’ meant people trusted him.

How did population change between 1500 and 1700?

1500 was 2.5 million and 1700 was approximately 5-6 million.

Large urban areas like London increased to 50,000 people.

What are seargants?

They were employed in towns to enforce market regulations by wirghing goods and collecting fines.

What is the bloody code?

The increasing number of crimes punishable by death - even for minor crimes such as cutting down trees.

1688 - 50 crimes

1765 - 160

1815 - 225

What were houses of correction?

Known as bridlewells, vagabonds, unmarried mothers, repeat offenders sent here. Inmates were sometimes whipped and made to do hard labour.

What was carting?

EM punishment for vagrancy, adultery, running a brothel etc. Person was paraded around the streets on a cart, being shamed.

Where were people transported in the EMP?

American colonies - treated similar to slaves.

Name reasons for the introduction of the death penalty.

Attitudes in society - belief in rising crime rates.

Detterence

Rise in population - harder to police, old methods were weaker

Conservation of wealth

What's habeus corbus?

Act passed in 1679, means ‘you have body’, prevented the authorities from locking anybody up indefinitely without charging them for a crime.

What was the role of JPs in the EMP?

They became a bigger part of law enforcement. They were people of local importance, usually a well off landownerwho took the job for the prestige it offered. They judged manour courts cases.

They could fine people or send them to the stocks and pillories or order them to be whipped.