Anglo-Saxon England

The Situation
1. No police
2. No lawyers
3. No magistrates
4. No prisons
5. Man accused of crime
  1. Brought friends and neighbours to swear that he was innocent
Tithings
1. People over 12 belonged to a tithing
  1. Sheriffs ensured everyone belonged to a tithing
  2. Whole villages fined if anyone was found 'outside a tithing'
2. 10 men in each tithing
  1. Responsible for each other's behaviour
Wergild
1. Life price
  1. E.g. Quarrel - An ear be struck off - 12 shillings
2. 1,200 for thane = 500 oxen
  1. 100 shillings for freemen
3. Intended to stop previous blood feuds
  1. Murder - If the murderer paid the money to the dead man's family/master = crime cancelled
4. Amount paid depended on who was killed, their status, and the location.
5. King decided whether the guilty man should be sent overseas or executed
Other Punishments
1. Hand cut off for making bad coins
2. Lying: Tongue cut off
3. Whippings
4. Stocks
Proof
1. Caught red-handed
2. Suspicion
3. Trial by ordeal
  1. Hot iron
4. Trial by water
  1. Holy water to drink
    1. Chucked into pond
      1. Guilty = floated

Resource summary

	Created by bsteer123 about 11 years ago