Crime and punishment Medieval Britain 1250 - 1500

Law enforcers
1. Sherriff
  1. Kings agent in each country
  2. No pay but great status
  3. Organises armed posse to search for criminals
  4. Works closely with chief constable and coroner
2. Chief constable
  1. 2 per hundred
  2. Lasts 1 year
  3. Local status
  4. Every man 15 - 60 is ready to serve king if needed
3. Watchman
  1. Patrol towns at night
  2. Arrest suspicious strangers
  3. Call hue and cry if I discover a crime
4. Ordinary person
  1. Part of a tithing
    1. 10 men
      1. If one man breaks the law the others have to make sure he/she gets taken to court
  2. Hue and cry when crime takes place
    1. If we don't do it we get a huge fine
5. Parish constable
  1. Arrest suspicious strangers
  2. 1353 - men practise archery every sunday
  3. Villagers respond properly to any crime
6. Coroner
  1. Sudden deaths reported to me
  2. View and measure the body
    1. Record wounds
  3. 4 per country
7. King
  1. Keeping 'Kings peace'
  2. Reviewing and deciding laws
Courts
1. Manor courts
  1. Most crime
  2. Held in manors
2. Church courts
  1. Offences by priests
  2. Sex outside marriage, homosexuality, failing to attend church and swearing
  3. No juries
  4. Priests heard evidence
3. Royal courts and country assizes
  1. Most serious criminal cases
    1. Stealing over 12D goods, treason rape and arson
  2. Jury from criminals area
  3. Royal judges from London would visit 3 times a year
4. Quarter sessions
  1. 3 or 4 Justices of pesce
    1. Unpaid but educated and wealthy
  2. 4 times a year
  3. Took over sheriffs court ditt
  4. Jury of local people
Punishments
1. Fines
  1. A noble disobeying the king
    1. Very large fine
  2. Gambling
  3. Failing to raise hue and cry
2. Death
  1. Hanging
    1. Murder
    2. Rape
    3. Robbery
    4. Burglary
    5. Theft
  2. Hung, drawn and quartered
    1. High treason
      1. Plotting to kill king
    2. Counterfeiting gold and silver coind
  3. Burned alive
    1. Petty treason
      1. Wife killing husband
    2. Heresty
      1. Belief in lollards
3. Inprisonment
  1. Being in debt
  2. Falsely accusing someone at a trial
  3. A prisoner awaiting a trial might spend months In a gaol
    1. Rough, unhealthy places
    2. Gaolers unpaid
      1. Earned living from prisoners
4. Public humiliation
  1. Being a scold
    1. Sat in public on cucking dtool
  2. Selling faulty goods
  3. A priest sleeping with another mans wife
    1. Church shamed them
      1. Confess sin outloud at main alter
Escaping punishment
1. Avoiding trials
  1. Run
    1. Join outlaw gang in Forest
  2. Seek sanctuary
    1. Church/cathedral
      1. 40 days/nights
        Confess crime to coroner, leave England forever
  3. Have powerful friends
  4. Refuse to plead
    1. Sent to a gaol until they changed their mind
2. Avoid being condemned to death
  1. Hope for friendly jury
3. Avoid being exocuted
  1. Buy pardon from king
    1. King eager for extra money
  2. Join kings army
  3. Pregnancy
    1. Sentence changed to a fine
    2. Claim Benefit of clergy
      1. Read verse from bible
      2. Some criminals memorised it
      3. Priests
      4. No woman - woman weren't priests
  4. Become kings approver
    1. Name 10 other men found guilty of serious crimes
      1. Allowed to go into exile

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Crime and punishment Medieval Britain 1250 - 1500

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	Created by Ella Cox over 6 years ago