‘New’ Crimes in Early Modern England

Question 1

what were the new crimes in early modern england?

Answer 1

-vagabondage/vagrancy

-organised crime (smuggling, highway robbery) -> still existed before but now more significant due to increase in import taxes & pop)

-witchcraft

Question 2

when was the Vagrancy Act?

Answer 2

1547

Question 3

what was the Vagrancy Act?

Answer 3

1547 - the able-bodied without work for more than 3 days were branded with a ‘V’ and sold as a slave for 2 years

Question 4

when was the Act for the Relief of the Poor

Answer 4

1597

Question 5

what was the Act for the Relief of the Poor

Answer 5

split vagrants into 2 categories:
-deserving (elders & disabled)
-underserving (those fit for work)

Question 6

when were the Poor Laws?

Answer 6

1601

Question 7

what were the Poor Laws?

Answer 7

-the ‘deserving’ poor were given poor relief by local parish
-the ‘undeserving’ poor could be branded, whipped or sent to a correction house

Question 8

what specific examples of import tax were introduced in the 17th century?

Answer 8

brandy & tea

Question 9

what was smuggling (organised crime)?

Answer 9

-people bringing goods into a country secretly to avoid paying import tax & selling it.
-social crime: upper class like buying goods from smugglers & lower class like being smugglers (money)

Question 10

why did highway robbery (organised crime) increase in the 18th century?

Answer 10

-improved roads = more people travelling
-increased trade between towns = more goods + money transported by road
-many roads isolated = easier to get away with highway robber

Question 11

when did Henry VIII make witchcraft punishable by death?

Answer 11

1542

Question 12

why did witchcraft accusations increase in Early Modern England?

Answer 12

-Economic Problems
-Social Changes
-Lack of Authority
-Religious Change
-Influence of Individuals

Question 13

explain how economic problems increased the accusations of witch craft?

Answer 13

-civil war & poor harvests caused huge economic problems
-people looked for scapegoats

Question 14

explain how social changes increased the accusation of witchcraft in Early Modern England?

Answer 14

-war left many women widowed
-more ‘strangers’ around as people travelled with the armies or searched for work

Question 15

explain how lack of authority increased accusations of witchcraft?

Answer 15

-civil war weakened control of local authorised
-in some areas law and order collapsed completely

Question 16

explain how religious change increased the accusations of witchcraft?

Answer 16

-religious differences increased by civil war
-many puritans believed that witchcraft was being used by the royalist, some of whom were catholic

Question 17

explain how the influence of individuals increased the accusations of witchcraft?

Answer 17

-since 1603, James I had promoted witch-hunting
-people like Matthew Hopkins stirred up fear of witches through writings

Question 18

what was the evidence of witchcraft?

Answer 18

-unusual marks on body
-witness accounts
-when pricked w needle, don’t bleed
-when thrown in water, float
-confessions from accused
-having pets (familiars)

Question 19

when did James I write ‘demonologie’

Answer 19

1597

Question 20

how many people were executed for witchcraft between 16th-17th century?

Answer 20

up to 1,000

Question 21

what was the influence of James I book ‘demonologie’

Answer 21

-encouraged witch-hunting
-due to invention of printing press (1440) - information spread more quickly

Question 22

who was Matthew Hopkins?

Answer 22

-employed by Justice of Peace to find witches in Essex & East Anglia
-received money for each witch prosecuted
-used torture to extract confessions

Question 23

how many people did Matthew Hopkins have investigated for witchcraft?

Answer 23

300

Question 24

when was the intensity of witch-hunts?

Answer 24

1645-47

Question 25

when was the printing press invented?

Answer 25

1440