Crime and Punishment c1000-c1500

?
View mindmap
  • Crime and Punishment - c1000-1500
    • Anglo-Saxon - c1000
      • CRIME
        • Fairly low, sense of duty towards community
        • Still some crimes against person, property and authority
      • LAW ENFORCEMENT
        • TITHINGS- Groups of men responsible for each other. If one accused of crime, others would take them to court or have to pay fine for them.
          • Sheriff was a local man appointed by the community to take criminals to court and ensure punishment was carried out.
        • TRIAL BY ORDEAL-If courts couldn't decide,church would do a trial were God judged. E.g., trail by hot water or iron.
        • HUE AND CRY- Victim or witness of a crime would shout for help. People expected to chase and catch criminal.
        • COURTS- If suspect denies committing the crime, their innocence /guilt was deciced by a court. ROYAL courts- National, dealt with most serious crimes. SHIRE courts- Lesser crimes, civil crimes. HUNDREDS- petty crimes
        • OATHS- accused could swear 'before god'
      • PUNISHMENT
        • Fines and Compensation. WERGILD- system of paying compensation to victim, amount depended on victims social status.
        • Corporal punishment (e.g. maiming and flogging) were fairly common. Capital punishment rarely used.
    • Norman - c1066-1200
      • LAW ENFORCEMENT
        • Continuity- TITHINGS, HUE AND CRY, COURT SYSTEMS.
        • TRIAL BY COMBAT- two people involved would fight to the death.
        • FORESTERS-Policed Royal Forests, feared and hated by local communites
      • CRIME
        • REBELLIONS-Norman invasion not welcomed by Anglo-Saxons, large rebellions in York and East Anglia.
        • FOREST LAWS-30% of England became 'Royal Forest' under William I and it became illegal to hunt or take wood without a licence.
        • MURDURM FINE- If an Anglo-Saxon murdered a Norman and was not caught, the HUNDRED (area of land) where the body was found would have to pay a fine.
      • PUNISHMENT
        • Continuity- Small crimes still punished by fines whipping or time in the stocks.
        • Change- Use of capital and corporal punishment rose, with more offences becoming capital crimes. Breaking Forest laws was punished harshly (castration, blinding, hanging). Wergild system ended and fines were paid to the king.
    • Later Medieval-c1200-1500
      • PUNISHMENT
        • Continuity- Corporal punishment still used widely. Crimes against authority still harshly punished.
        • Change- Use of capital punishment gradually decreased but commoners usually hanged for murder, nobles beheaded. Fines became more common.
      • LAW ENFORCEMENT
        • Continuity- Tithings and hue and cry
        • SANCTUARY- Important churches offered protection from the law for 40 days. If accused went there the priest would report the crime but couldn't be arrested,the accused could then go to court or flee the country or else they would be outlawed.
        • PARISH CONSTABLE- local people nominated by community, unpaid, held post for a year. Lead chase after hue and cry was given and arrest suspect.
        • NIGHT WATCH- Volunteers patrolled the street, any suspected criminals they caught were handed over to the constable.
        • JUSTICE OF PEACE ACT(1361)- mostly local lords appointed by the monarch, had power to hear minor crimes in courts 4 times a year.
        • CHURCH COURTS- Used for those accused of moral crimes and members of the clergy for all crimes. People proved right to benefit of clergy by reading a passage from the bible (priests few people who could read) however some laymen just memorised the passage as punishments given by church courts more lenient.
        • Change- Trail by ordeal and combat were abolished in 1215.Role of sheriff expanded, now expected to track down criminal if hue and cry failed, from 1285, he was allowed a posse of local men to help chase and catch criminal.
      • CRIME
        • As towns grew, so did crime.
  • Later Medieval-c1200-1500
    • PUNISHMENT
      • Continuity- Corporal punishment still used widely. Crimes against authority still harshly punished.
      • Change- Use of capital punishment gradually decreased but commoners usually hanged for murder, nobles beheaded. Fines became more common.
    • LAW ENFORCEMENT
      • Continuity- Tithings and hue and cry
      • SANCTUARY- Important churches offered protection from the law for 40 days. If accused went there the priest would report the crime but couldn't be arrested,the accused could then go to court or flee the country or else they would be outlawed.
      • PARISH CONSTABLE- local people nominated by community, unpaid, held post for a year. Lead chase after hue and cry was given and arrest suspect.
      • NIGHT WATCH- Volunteers patrolled the street, any suspected criminals they caught were handed over to the constable.
      • JUSTICE OF PEACE ACT(1361)- mostly local lords appointed by the monarch, had power to hear minor crimes in courts 4 times a year.
      • CHURCH COURTS- Used for those accused of moral crimes and members of the clergy for all crimes. People proved right to benefit of clergy by reading a passage from the bible (priests few people who could read) however some laymen just memorised the passage as punishments given by church courts more lenient.
      • Change- Trail by ordeal and combat were abolished in 1215.Role of sheriff expanded, now expected to track down criminal if hue and cry failed, from 1285, he was allowed a posse of local men to help chase and catch criminal.
    • CRIME
      • As towns grew, so did crime.

Comments

No comments have yet been made

Similar History resources:

See all History resources »See all Crime and punishment through time (OCR History A) resources »