c1700–c1900: Crime and punishment in eighteenth and nineteenth century Britain

Question 1

How did the nature of smuggling change in c1700-c1900?

Answer 1

SOCIAL CRIME
LESS POPULAR = Import taxes reduced - less profit 1850
BETTER POLICING = coastguards and Customs officers
SOCIAL ATTITUDES = View as now professional crime not social

Question 2

Why was highway robbery increasing in c1700-c1900?

Answer 2

INCREASED TRADE BETWEEN TOWNS

DEMOBALISED SOLIDIERS RESORT TO HWR BECAUSE NO WORK

ROADS IMPROVED/ISOLATED = PEOPLE OWNED PERSONAL COACHES

HANDGUN TO OBTAIN/HORSES CHEAPER

Dick Turpin

Question 3

Why was there a decline in highway robbery c1700-c1900?

Answer 3

NEW BANKS =people carries less money

1772 Highway robbery punishable by death

MOUNTED PATROLS IN LONDON

Question 4

When was highway robbery punishable by death? And last reported case?

Answer 4

1772

Last reported case = 1831

Question 5

How did the definition of poaching change in c1700-c1900?

Answer 5

1723 Black Act - capital punishment

Reappealed by Peel in 1823 (Still illegal but not capital)

Question 6

Why was the black act 1723 established?

Answer 6

A law passed in 1723 in response to widespread poaching and violence by criminal gangs like the Waltham Blacks

Question 7

When was the black act established?

Answer 7

1723

Question 8

How did the definition of witchcraft change in c1700-c1900?

Answer 8

1736 decriminalisation of witchcraft

Fined for fraud of claiming to have magic powers lol

Question 9

Why were the tolpuddle martyrs treated so badly 1834?

Answer 9

French rev. led to death of King Louis XVI.

Made ruling classes in britain nervouse it could happen to them do ig DETTERENCE!!

Question 10

Who were the tolpuddle martyrs 1834?

Answer 10

6 farm workers from Tolpuddle, Dorset
Led by George Loveless, they were agricultural laborers
“Friendly Society of Agricultural Labourers”, which is an early trade union

Question 11

Why were the tolpuddle martyrs arrested 1834?

Answer 11

-formed a society to protest against low wages and harsh working conditions
-swore an oath of secrecy violated an old Sedition Act (1797)

Question 12

How were the tolpuddle martyrs punished?

Answer 12

-charged with unlawful oaths under the Unlawful Oaths Act 1797
-7 years’ transportation to Australia

Question 13

How did the public respond to the treatment of the tolpuddle martyrs?

Answer 13

-TOO HARSH
-200,000 people signed a petition calling for their release

Question 14

What was the aftermath of the tolpuddle martyrs?

Answer 14

1836 - government pressure led to pardon
1838 - tolpuddle martrys returned home

Question 15

Continuity in law enforcement in c1700-c1900?

Answer 15

parish constables
watchmen
part-time soldiers

Question 16

What new changes to policing were there in c1700-c1900?

Answer 16

-bow street runners
-The fielding brothers 1749

Question 17

Who were the fielding brothers?

Answer 17

Henry & John

Question 18

Contribution of the fielding brothers?

Answer 18

-Into to mounted patrols
-Publication of Hue & Cry
-inrto to the Bow street runners 1749

Question 19

What were the bow street runners?

Answer 19

Est. 1749
tackle London’s huge crime wave

volunteers

Payed by Gov. 1785

Question 20

What did the bow street runners do?

Answer 20

• patrolling London’s streets
  -Tracked down criminals and stolen property

Question 21

What was the Middlesex Justices Act of 1729?

Answer 21

The Middlesex Justices Act of 1729 was a law passed to deal with disorderly conduct and improve the administration of justice in Middlesex, the area around London.

Question 22

What was a feature of the Middlesex Justices act of 1729?

Answer 22

-JP’s in Middlesex had greater power to arrest individuals who were involved in public disorder.

Question 23

When was the met. police set up and by who?

Answer 23

Robert Peele

1829

Question 24

What were features of the met. police in 1829?

Answer 24

-Called “bobbies” in honour of Robert
-144 constables

Question 25

What was the met. police uniform in 1829?

Answer 25

blue overcoats/top hats

Question 26

How did the metropolitan police develop?

Answer 26

1842 – Formation of Detective Branch in the Metropolitan Police

Question 27

When was the formation of Detective Branch in the Metropolitan Police?

Answer 27

1842

Question 28

What was the 1856 police act?

Answer 28

The 1856 Police Act made professional police forces compulsory nationwide

Question 29

What were features of the 1856 police act?

Answer 29

-Gov. funded -employ officials to regularly inspect all forces

Question 30

When was the police act established?

Answer 30

1856

Question 31

What was the 1869 – National Criminal Record?

Answer 31

National Criminal Record system. This was a centralized database to track criminals and their activities across the country.

Question 32

When was National Criminal Record est?

Answer 32

1869

Question 33

What was the 1878 CID?

Answer 33

In 1878, the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) was officially established within the Metropolitan Police. The CID was created to handle serious crime investigations such as murder, fraud, and theft, marking a shift towards more specialized police work.

Question 34

What is a feature of the CID?

Answer 34

200-800 detectives in 1883

Question 35

How long did the use of Aus as a punishment last for? c1700-c1900

Answer 35

1788-1868

Question 36

When was Aus ended?

Answer 36

1868

Question 37

When did public execution end?

Answer 37

1868 (still happened behind closed doors)

Question 38

When was the death penalty abolished?

Answer 38

1998

Question 39

Why did the bloody code end?

Answer 39

shift towards more humane punishments

Question 40

What were the condition of prisons punishments like before Howard & Fry?

Answer 40

-Treadmills Oakhum picking

Question 41

What was John Howard contributions?

Answer 41

-prison reformer who played a major role in changing the harsh conditions of prisons in the 18th century -1774 toured prison - The State of Prisons in England and Wales" (1777) exposed the filthy, inhumane conditions

Question 42

What was Elizabeth Fry contributions?

Answer 42

-1813, Elizabeth Fry began her work to reform women's prisons, particularly at Newgate Prison -Provide woman prisons with Bible classes/furniture/rehabilitation/ employment

Question 43

What was the features of the separate system 1842 c1700-c1900?

Answer 43

23 hours a day Self reflection/hard labour

Question 44

What was the Pentonville prison?

Answer 44

1842 -implemented separate system HAD 520 PRISONERS

Question 45

When was the seperate sytem est?

Answer 45

1842

Question 46

What impact the seperate sytem have?

Answer 46

Build 90 prisons like that from 1842-1877

Question 47

What was the 1865 prisons act?

Answer 47

Improved conditions in prisons.

Question 48

When was Peele PM?

Answer 48

1834 - 1835 1841 - 1846

Question 49

What was the Gaols Act 1823? And features?

Answer 49

Aimed to improve conditions in prisons Feat: Visits with chaplain/Jailers paid (no more bribes)/Female prisoners get female wardens

Question 50

What public hostility did the met police recieve?

Answer 50

People feared too much government control Expensive to run Mocked as “Bobbies” or “Peelers”

Question 51

What were the recruitment problems with the met police?

Answer 51

In 1829, 2,800 men were recruited. Only 600 stayed more than a year. Reasons: low pay, strict discipline, unpopular role