Early Modern Britain 1450/1500-1750

Early Modern Britain 1450/1500-1750

1. during this time Englands the population rose from 2- 6 million

   • Most people lived in rural areas or small towns and worked in agriculture
     • The problem was worse in towns where there were more opputunities for crime and it was harder to control
   • Population growth = higher food prices and unemployment
   • This was also a time where great social and economic changes led to an increase in poverty
     • As in the Middle Ages about 80% of crime was petty theft, although crimes such as pick pocketing were becoming more common as towns and cities grew
       • As a result some 'new crimes' became more comon

2. Church courts

   • Dealt with priests, monks and nuns and those who refused to pay a tenth of their income to the church

3. Manor courts

   • Dealt with ordinary villagers in the countryside and made them keep to the rules set by the ordinary landowners
   • The most likely to be fined and punished were unfree farmers called villeins
     • Though the court did protect them from being made to do too much work or being fined too much work

4. Royal courts

   • Dealt with all serious crimes and all types of people
     • Divided according to their seriousness:
       • Murder, Arson, Rape, Treason, Robbery; punished by hanging
       • Assault, Selling goods at wrong prices etc; usually punished by fines of money
   • Only free men could appear in the Royal courts
     • Women could only go to a court to accuse someone who had: Murdered her husband (but only if he had died in her arms), Attacked her and this led to the loss of an unborn child or Raped her

5. Prisons

   • Not until 1576 that local judges were required to build houses of correction in which beggars could be kept
   • Medieval prisons were mostly for holding people awaiting trial

6. Prevention of crimes

   • Making a group of 10 people over the age of 12 (a tithing) responsible for each others actions
     • If a crime was committed they had to hunt for the criminal (hue and cry)
   • Deterring people by threat of punishment
   • Church teachings about right and wrong

7. Reasons for medieval crime waves

   • Rising in unemployment
   • Rising prices
   • Weak government
   • Corrupt judges

8. In court,2 methods to decide guilt of the accused:

   • Witness of neighbours
     • people had to swear that the accused had a past of good behaviour ?
   • Trial by jury
     • A group of local people looked at the evidence, listened to witnesses and discussed the character of the person

9. No police force still

   • By 1400 landowners were appointed Justices of the peace t o hold local courts at least 4 times a year to deal with less serious offences

10. Changes

    • Little change in law enforcement since Middle ages except watchmen and thief- takers
    • Little change in punishment except increased use of death penalty