Changes in Crime and Punishment in Britain, c.500 to the present day Flashcards
In the medieval era, what was the most common crime?
Theft - 73.5%
Murder - 18.2%
Name 3 common causes of crime in the medieval era.
Poverty - Being unable to earn income due to illness or disability meant people were forced to turn to crime to make ends meet.
Famine - Harsh winters along with poor crop yields placed great pressure on agricultural communities and meant there wasnt enough food for everyone. This forced people to commit muder or theft in order to eat. (Great famine of 1315-17)
Taxation - Government policies led to frequent hardship and protests as people were demanded to pay money they couldnt afford to
give away and this led people to steal food in order to survive. (Poll Tax of the late 1370s)
What type of crime continued from the medieval to the early modern era?
Theft
What new type of crime emerged in the early modern era?
Heresy & Treason
What caused an increase in the crime of heresy in the early modern era?
King Henry VIII’s religious reformation of Great Britain from catholic to protestant. This crime continued to be a crime throughout the tudor monarchs as the official religion of Great Britain changed 3 times before Queen Elizabeth I created the religious settlement.
How many people did Mary I execute for the crime of heresy?
283
What was a cause of crime specific to the early modern era?
King Henry VIII’s dissolution of the monasteries.
This took away the vital role played by monasteries in helping the desperate.
List 3 vagrants and their tactics to gain money from people.
Abraham man - pretended to be mad to attract sympathy.
Clapper dudgeon - tied arsenic to their skin to make it bleed and attract donations.
Doxy - An old woman who would steal chickens and hide them among other bags.
Give 2 examples of treasonable incidents in the early modern era.
Wyatt’s rebellion 1554 - Thomas Wyatt wanted catholicism in Britain and attempted to overthrow Queen elizabeth by gaining support from others.
Gunpowder plot 1605 - Robert Catesby and Guy Fawkes along with others attempted to blow up the houses of parliament and kill the king but their plan was foiled by sir Francis Walsingham, and William Cecil.
Which crimes saw a rise during the industrial era?
Smuggling - People wanted to avoid import tax so they brought goods from places like tha caribbean and snuck their boats in caves and hid the resources in pubs with the help of gangs. (Hawkhurst Gang)
Highway robbery - longer roads allowed for more trade between towns and cities but also opened up the opportunity for people to steal your goods. (Dick turpin)
What cause of crime in the industrial era led to an increase in smuggling and highway robbery?
Changes in trade and business - The government placing customs and excise duties on imported goods meant people would smuggle them to avoid paying the 70% tax.
The increase in travel as the imdustrail revolution began to improve trade meant money was now being carried on roads to pay for goods and services.
What cause of crime lead to an increase in murder and pickpocketing?
Rising population and Urbanisation - This meant that towns and cities became more densely populated and there was an even higher demand for goods without enough soace to fit everyone. This led to more chances for murder whilst busy crowds of people gave way for the opportunity of pickpocketing in city centres.
Why was the crime of smuggling exclusive to the industrial era, and disappeared by the modern era?
Smuggling was wiped out when the British government adopted a policy of free trade in the 1840s and meant there were very few duties on any goods brought from abroad. This meant there was no need to avoid any taxes so the crime disappeared.
Name 3 types of pickpocketers.
Thimble screwers who stole pocket watches from their chains.
Prop nailers who stole pins and brooches from women.
Drag sneaks who stole goods or luggage from carts and coaches.
The automation of factories using machines led to an increase in what crime in the industrial era?
Social and political unrest - Luddites (1812) rioted against their jobs being replaced by machines and attacked and destroyed them in protests.
The swing riots (1830) occured when agricultural labourers were angry about the introduction of new machinery and the effect on their work; there were attacks on farm machines and property was set on fire.
Which area of Britain became notorious for crime?
East End in London
What 2 types of crime increased due to advancements in technology in the modern era.
Motor vehicle offences and Cybercrime
What caused the change in the nature of crimes such as theft and robbery in the modern era?
The growth of the motor car introduced multiple different crimes both directly and indirectly involving it. For example, Car and motorbike theft soared in the mid twentieth century whereas these motor vehicles have been used as getaway vehicles or to transport illegal goods such as drugs or firearms.
What crime was inevitably connected to sports, particularly football in the modern era?
Hooliganism
What are 2 examples of modern terrorism in the Modern era?
- 7/7 London attacks. suicide bombings coordinated on londons transport system by Al-Qaeda.
- Arndale Bombing. Arndale shopping centre in Manchester was subject to a bombing, injuring 200 people.
What were 3 methods of combatting crime in the Medieval era?
- Tithings. 10 fit men entrusted in policing minor problems such as disturbances, fires, animals and other threats.
- Hue and Cry. A form of communal policing where the whole town was assembled to pursue suspected offenders.
- Hundreds. Ten tithings and the hundredman dealt with serious breaches of law in and around the shire.
What was the role of the shire reeve in the Medieval era?
Responsible for public order and had the authority to raise a posse comitatus (alerting other counties and shire reeve’s) to capture criminals that had escaped the tithing.
What features of medieval policing changed after the norman conquest of 1066?
-JPs were first appointed in 1326 to assist the sheriffs in controlling the shires. JPs were local land owners who commanded respect through their position.
- Parish constables replaced hundredman around the thirteenth century to assist JPs.
- Watchmen were developed to protect property at night in larger towns and cities.
What form of policing continued from the Medieval period to the Early Modern era?
Community policing
