1000-1500 Medieval England - Anglo-saxon Law Enforcement

Question 1

Who was largely responsible for preventing crime AND catching criminals

Answer 1

The community because there was no official ‘police force’

Question 2

How did most people live around the year 1000

Answer 2

Most lived in small hamlets, on farms, in villages and a few small towns

Question 3

What was a benefit of the small, tight-knit communities

Answer 3

Everyone knew everyone & most people had a strong sense of duty to their community - important reason why crime rate was quite low + had an impact on how law was enforced

Question 4

What were tithings

Answer 4

Shires were split into areas called hundreds, each 1 was divided into 10 tithings. All people in a tithing were responsable for each other - if 1 was accused of a crime the others made sure he went to court OR the tithing has to pay a fine for them.
A shire reeve = a local man appointed by the community to to take criminals to court + make sure any punishment is carried out. He also met regularly with 1 man from each tithing.

Question 5

What was hue and cry

Answer 5

The victim or witness to a crime raised a hue and cry by shouting alert to others. Anyone who heard it was expected to chase + help catch suspected criminals

Question 6

What were courts

Answer 6

• If the suspect didn’t admit to the crime or wasn’t caught in the act their guilt/innocnce had to be decided by court.
• different courts for different types of crime committed and the person who committed it
• royal courts were national courts that dealt with the most serious crimes
• lesser crimes were dealt with in shire courts
• petty crimes dealt with in hundred courts
• court hearings (where the punishment the convicted criminal would receive was decided) took place in public

Question 7

What were oaths

Answer 7

• Swearing oaths before god was a major part of Anglo Saxon justice
• the accused could swear their innocence under oath and others could support them as oath helpers

Question 8

What were oaths

Answer 8

• Swearing oaths before god was a major part of Anglo Saxon justice
• the accused could swear their innocence under oath and others could support them as oath helpers

Question 9

how was guilt/innocence decided

Answer 9

• The victim of their family provided evidence of the suspects guilt for the court.
• if the jury couldn’t decide the accused was handed to the church so god could decide a persons guilt/innocence in a trial of ordeal