1500-1700 Early Modern England Flashcards
Why was population growth an issue?
It meant it was harder for people to find work
What change happened in Henry the 8th reign?
- He changed the country to Protestant
- Both sides accused the other of being in league with the devil
- This increased public belief in superstition
When did heresy first become a crime?
1382
In the GPP who were the group of plotters led by?
Robert Catesby
Why did the plotters want to blow up parliament?
James I also did not allow Catholics to practice their faiths. The plotters wanted to make James’s daughter Elizabeth, Queen
When did the plotters plan on blowing up parliament?
5th November 1605
How many plotters were there altogether?
13
What was Guy Fawkes in charge of?
Putting gunpowder under parliament (came from Essex)
Who received the anonymous letter (GPP) and what did they do?
- Lord Montesgle received the
- He want to Robert Cecil (the king’s chief minister)
- RC then goes to the king who then realises Parliament= blown up
What does Cecil do after seeing the letter?
He orders a search of the parliament and Fawkes was discovered
How long was Fawkes tortured for?
3 days, then he revealed the names of the other conspirators
When were the plotters hanged,drawn + quartered?
January 1606
Why was there a harsh and public punishment for treason? (In GPP)
- Thought to be the only way of deterring crime (no police then)
- A harsh message to deter Catholics
What is a vagabond / vagrant?
An unemployed homeless person
Where were the greatest number of vagabonds found?
In London
What factors caused the number of vagabonds to rise?
- Population = unemployment
- War
- Bad harvests = inflation
- Enclosures
- Closing down monasteries
- Travel = Decline in exports so no income
Give 2 examples of vagabonds described by Thomas Harman?
- Abraham Man = pretended to be mad
- Clapper Dudgeon = Used arsenic on their skin to make it bleed, to attract sympathy whilst begging
Why were Vagabonds seen as a problem in Elizabethan times?
- They were idle and lazy = Devils had made them
- They spread disease by wandering from place to place
- Burden of looking after the poor was increasing= poor rates were rising
What is a poor rate?
A tax raised in each parish to pay for the relief of the poor
What did the 1601 poor laws state?
‘Deserving poor’ (anyone unable to work) were given poor relief, whilst the ‘undeserving’ were whipped and branded
Who was known as the ‘Witchfinder General’?
Matthew Hopkins
How long was Mathew Hopkins witch-hunt?
1645-1647
When was the english civil war?
1642-1651
Why did Matthew Hopkins become a witch Hunter?
- He was an unsuccessful lawyer
- He had the ability to spot witches
- He overheard women discussing their meeting with the devil
- Mainly operating in East Anglia
Reasons for the intensity of witch hunts in 1645-1647
- James I promoted witch hunting through his book Demonology
- War left many women widowed
- Civil War+ Poor harvests caused economic problems= people looked for scapegoats
- Religious changes = Puritans + Royalists
Give examples of Witchcraft?
- Unusual marks / ‘devil marks’
- Witness accounts
- Accused floated in water
- Confession through torture
- A ‘familiar’
How were witches punished?
Public executions to deter the public + increase tensions in villages and towns
Who made witchcraft punishable by death?
Henry VIII in 1542
What policing methods stayed the same in 1500-1700?
- Hue and Cry
- Parish Constables
- Justices of peace
What were town watchmen and sergeants used for?
- Employed in larger towns
- Poorly paid
- Expected to arrest drunks and vagrants
Who were thief takers?
- They were private individuals hired to capture criminals
How did the Role of the church change in this period?
- Henry stopped sanctuary abroad
- James I abolished sanctuary altogether
- Benefit of the clergy = people were branded to show that they earned the privilege
What are some crimes in this period?
- Witchcraft
- Poaching on enclosed land
- Smuggling
How were courts used for trialing the accused?
- Relied on the local jury
- Manor courts still dealt with minor crimes
- JP’s would meet each other 4x a year (Quarter sessions) to judge more serious cases
What did the Habeas Corpus Act in 1679 do?
Prevented authorities from locking people up without charging them with a crime
What are some examples of punishments in this period?
- Pillory= for shame and humiliation
- Fines = Most common
- Whipping = Usually in front of a crowd
- Prisons = Used for those awaiting trial
- Ducking stool = Women who didn’t listen to their husbands
- Hanging
- Burning= only used for heresy
What was the bloody code?
- The period 1688 to 1825
- More crimes became punishable by death
- Aim was to frighten people
Who introduced transportation to North America
James I (1603-1625)
What was transportation used for?
- Free manual labour
- Opportunities for children to start a new life
- On release, prisoners rarely returned home coz they had no money to make the journey
