gcse history - early modern crime and punishment

what was heresy and how is it linked to treason?

heresy was going against the state religion. This was linked to treason as the monarchs were the head of the church so going against their religion made you a traitor, therefore it was also treason.

when was the witchcraft and conjuration act passed and who passed it?

1604, James I

who was the witch finder general?

Matthew Hopkins

what law made poaching illegal?

the 1671 Game Act

when did heresy first become a crime?

1382

how many protestants did Bloody Mary kill?

287

what is a vagabond?

a homeless or unemployed person

what is smuggling?

secretly bringing goods into the country to avoid import tax

what punishment did the 1494 vagabondage and beggar act entail?

stocks for 3 days and nights

when was the vagrancy act passed and what did it say?

1547, it said that if you were able bodied and weren’t working you would be branded with a V and enslaved for 2 years

who passed the 1601 poor laws and what did they say?

Elizabeth I, she said that ‘deserving’ poor would be offered relief by their local parish but ‘undeserving’ poor would be branded and whipped

what happened to law enforcement?

the rise in population caused the use of traditional methods to decrease and the role of the church to get weaker as well

what was some continuity from the medieval period?

the hue and cry continued, and there was still no national police force

describe watchmen

they carried a lamp and rang a bell, all male householders were expected to volunteer with no pay. They were overseen by the town constable and patrolled the streets from 10pm until dawn

describe the town constable

they were employed by the town authorities, they were respected members of the community who had the power to arrest and take suspects to the JP

what did Henry VII allow?

he allowed non clergy benefit of the clergy only once but they were branded to show that they had received it. Later on Edward VI made serious crimes such as murder ineligible for this.

how did the power of the church in regards to law enforcement decrease in 1576?

church courts could only try moral acts, so all people including clerics were tried in secular courts

when was sanctuary abolished?

1623

what was the alternative to hanging for nobles?

beheading

what was an element of continuity in punishments from the medieval to early modern era?

fines were still used for minor offences

describe the waltham black act

Began in 1723, imposes 50 capital offences related to poaching, arson, and other crimes against property

what is a justice of the peace?

Local officials appointed to maintain law and order in their area. They presided over local courts and enforced laws.

when did transportation begin and what was its purpose?

1660, the purpose was that they would not be in England and jobs could be done elsewhere in the British Empire.

what did transportation do in relation to new ideas on punishment?

it was serious but also gave criminals a chance at rehabilitation unlike the Bloody code

what was the problem with transportation after the criminals had finished their sentence

most couldn’t afford to get back to England

define witchcraft

Witchcraft was commonly perceived as the use of supernatural powers or magic to bring about certain outcomes, often considered malevolent or harmful.