c1700-c1900 18th and 19th century Britian

Question 1

reasons for increase in street theft, burglary, drunk and disorderly behaviour, prostitution, public disorder

Answer 1

people travelling more: fewer people knew others; larger towns harder to be caught; criminals form dens or gangs of thieves; extreme poverty resulting in more ‘survival’ crimes.

Question 1

Changes in highway robbery

Answer 1

Improved roads -> more people travelling, increased trade -> more goods and money on road, roads isolated

Question 2

changes in poaching

Answer 2

Poaching increased 18th century, poaching gangs. Led to 1723 Waltham Black Act, made poaching capital offence, also illegal to carry snares or own hunting dogs in poaching areas. viewed as unfair. Many poaching laws repealed 1823.

Question 3

changes in smuggling

Answer 3

smuggling increased 1740-1850 because of high import tax. smuggling very profitable, large gangs such as Hawkhurst Gang. difficult for mounted customs officers to patrol coast. Taxes cut 1840s smuggling decreased

Question 4

changes: Witchcraft

Answer 4

After civil war prosecution of witchcraft decreases, All witchcraft laws repealed by Witchcraft Act of 1736. People who claimed to use magic given fines or prison. despite widespread changes some clung to superstitious beliefs.

Question 5

Reasons for end of witchcraft as a crime

Answer 5

Economic and Social changes meant more stability, Some still believed in the supernatural but others (especially educated) became less superstitious.

Question 6

The Tolpuddle Martyrs

Answer 6

• 1834, In Tolpuddle Dorset group of farm workers formed a ‘friendly society’ to protest low wages.
• Government and farm owners feared loss of control, the 6 men arrested for taking secret oaths (originally to stop naval mutinies).
• Found guilty and transported to Australia for 7 years to deter trade unions.
• Press published on it, mass protest and petition with 20000 signatures in opposition.
• Home Secretary ignored and continued to send them.
• protests continue, 1836 martyrs pardoned and returned home.

Question 7

Significance of Tolpuddle martyrs

Answer 7

Highlights how authorities use laws to criminalise threats to them, shows government protecting employers at expense of workers, eventual pardoning shows power of public opinion, Martyr’s inspired fight for worker’s rights but others put off by the harsh treatment of martyrs.

Question 8

Continuity in policing

Answer 8

Watchmen patrolled on foot at night, parish constables dealt with petty crime. Soldiers used to put down riots and large protests.

Question 9

Changes in policing

Answer 9

from 1749 Bow Street Runners tracked down criminals and stolen property. From 1754 Bow Street Horse Patrols patrolled the streets.

Question 10

Bow Street Runners

Answer 10

• Established London 1749 by Henry Fielding, Chief Magistrate Bow Street Court.
• tackled crime wave of 17th century London.
• Half-brother John Fielding took over 1754. Began by charging fees
• by 1785 paid by government.
• New methods of finding evidence first ‘detectives’.
• Branched into patrolling major roads on foot and mounted, patrols less successful.
• Shared information, beginnings of crime intelligence network.

Question 11

Timeline of Development of police

Answer 11

• 1829-Metropolitan police act, began Britain’s first professional police force in London
• 1835-Municipal Corporations Act, borough councils could set up police force (only half did so)
• 1839-Rural Constabulary Act, counties could set up police force (2/3 did)
• 1842-Detective department set up at Met headquarters
• 1856-Police Act, forced all towns and counties to set up professional police force
• 1878-Criminal Investigations Department set up for Met

Question 12

1856 Police Act

Answer 12

made professional police forces based on the Met compulsory across the country, funded by government and regularly inspected by government officials. Officers to keep law and order, prevent crime through patrols and arrests, detect criminals after crime committed.

Question 13

Timeline of Punishment through time

Answer 13

• c1610-Transportation to America begins
• 1770-Eastern Australia claimed for Britain
• 1774-Gaol act
• 1776-American war of independence, no more transportation to America
• 1787-Transportation to Australia begins
• 1787-1868- over 160000 people transported to Australia
• 1822-Last hanging for shoplifting
• 1823-Gaols Act
• 1825-End of the Bloody code, Capital crimes reduced to 122
• 1842-77- 90 new prisons built
• 1850s-Transportation slows down
• 1868-Transportation abolished, no more public executions

Question 14

changing views on punishment

Answer 14

• Punishments should be equal to crime committed
• Corporal and capital punishments inhumane except for serious crimes
• Punishment should also rehabilitate offender

Question 15

Factors of changing views on punishment

Answer 15

The bloody code was clearly not working as a deterrent. Therefore the views changed decreasing use of the death penalty and increase in transportation and then prisons. Lead to the ending of public executions in 1868

Question 16

Transportation to Australia

Answer 16

Increased crime rate meant increased transportation to Australia, Criminals worked as forced labourers for settlers for 7 years providing free labour. Most stayed in Australia because couldn’t afford ticket back.
Ended because:
* no longer needed forced labourers didn’t want ‘criminals’
* Found Gold (attractive)
* Too expensive
* some though too light
* some thought too harsh
* More prisons built

Question 17

Prisons and prison reforms

Answer 17

• 18th century prison conditions poor,
• increasingly used as punishment,
• Many thought conditions should be poor with hard labour
• several reformers believed prisons should improve to increase rehabilitation.
• John Howard’s work led to 1774 gaols act- suggested how health and sanitation could be improved.
• Elizabeth Fry began visiting women in Newgate Prison 1813, set up education classes reforming female prisoners, got them better clothes and treated prisoners with kindness and respect.
• Influenced Peel’s prison reforms.

Question 18

Pentonville architecture as ‘model’ prison

Answer 18

• Wings housed dozens of individual cells and staff base.
• Walls thick to prevent communication.
• Masked in areas for fresh air and exercise to prevent communication.
• Cells 4x2m, had a loom, small barred window, wash basin, toilet, and bed.
• Chapels built with cubicles to prevent prisoners from seeing one another

Question 19

Reasons for separate system

Answer 19

• Rehabilitation: Solitude thought best for reflection, turning to religion, and reform. Meant prisoners couldn’t influence one another, cell provided everything but exercise.
• Retribution: isolation and boredom made criminal ‘pay’ for crime.
• Deterrent: serious punishment therefore thought as a good deterrent.

Question 20

Strengths of separate system

Answer 20

Compared to previous prisons clean and far less diseased. Many though it correct level of punishment- harsh but not too harsh.

Question 21

Weaknesses of separate system

Answer 21

Isolation led to mental illness and high suicide rate. No education or instruction to provide new skills to prisoners once released.

Question 22

Robert Peel reforming penal code

Answer 22

After 1810 unprecedented number of capital crimes. Death penalty (in theory) given murder to petty theft. In practice death penalty rarely used for petty crime as judges thought it unfair, which made penal code make little sense. 1825 Peel reduced capital crimes by 100 to make less harsh punishments for petty crimes and reform petty criminals rather than kill them.

Question 23

Robert Peel Prison reform

Answer 23

Partly due to influence of reformers Peel tried to improve prisons persuading government to pass 1823 Gaols act stating chaplains to regularly visit prisoners, gaolers to be paid, prisoners shouldn’t get chains. No inspectors so impact limited.

Question 24

1829-The Metropolitan Police Act

Answer 24

1822- Peel set up parliamentary committee to look into policing, helped idea of centralised police force across London, crime wave from economic downturn 1826 helped it through parliament.

Question 25

Metropolitan police officers

Answer 25

Central aim to prevent crime and disorder being impartial and objective. Recruits carefully selected and well-trained, full-time and well-paid. Members had uniform, unarmed, used minimal physical force as a last resort. Focused on patrolling high crime areas, reduced street crime and disorder. Not popular at first but soon recognised as honest and trustworthy.