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Crime And Punishment > 18th And 19th Century Britain - 1700-1900 > Flashcards

18th And 19th Century Britain - 1700-1900 Flashcards

1
Q

when were laws against witchcraft abolished

A

By 1736

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2
Q

What new types of crime emerged

A

Highway robbery

Smuggling

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3
Q

What was now punishable by death

A

Poaching

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4
Q

Why did people care so much about Highway robbery

A
  • disrupted trade especially around London

- greatest feared by travellers

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5
Q

Ruthlessness of highway robbery

A
  • often romanticised in art - eg. Claude Duval painting

- in truth very ruthless - cut out a woman’s founder to stop her reporting him

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6
Q

Why did highway robbery grow

A
  • more people travelling in their own coaches
  • handguns were easier to obtain and became quicker to load and fire
  • horses became cheaper to buy
  • lonely areas outside towns
  • there was no police force - constables didn’t track criminals across counties
  • after wars ended - demolished soldiers struggled to find an honest way of living
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7
Q

Why did highway robbery decline

A
  • number of banks grew - freezer travellers carried large amounts of money
  • stagecoaches were introduced - regular staging posts where tired horses were changed
  • road surfaces improved - coaches became more frequent
  • lonely areas were built on as population increased
  • mountain patrols - set up around London and were encouraged by rewards
  • local governments closed down inns where they were likely to sell/ hide loot
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8
Q

What was smuggling

A

Bringing goods into the country without paying duties

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9
Q

What type of foods were mainly smuggled

A

Tea, cloth, wine, spirits

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10
Q

Punishment for smuggling

A

Death

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11
Q

Why did the authorities take smuggling very seriously

A

Duties were the main form of government income

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12
Q

What were the poaching laws

A

Only Landowners with land worth over £100 a year could hunt

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13
Q

Social crimes

A

Poaching

Smuggling

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14
Q

When was the Waltham Black Act introduced

A

1723

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15
Q

What was the Waltham Black Act

A

Made hunting deer, hare, rabbit a capital crime

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16
Q

What was the government view on smuggling

A
  • was disruptive to trade and a drain on tax revenue
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17
Q

How much tea was smuggled in each year

A

Estimated 1.4 tonnes

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18
Q

How large were smuggling gangs

A

50-100 men and were well armed

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19
Q

Conflict between smuggling gangs and government

A

Smuggling gangs fought with customs men and even seized back confiscated goods
The government used the army against larger gangs

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20
Q

What were customs officers

A

Officials who tried to prevent smuggling

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21
Q

Public attitudes to smuggling

A
  • public disliked expensive duties - made luxury goods affordable
  • even government ministers were known to have purchased smuggled wine
  • social crime - for low paid labourers it was a quick way to earn 6 times their daily wage in one night
  • fear of gangs deterred public from giving evidence or reporting
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22
Q

Smuggling wages

A
  • in Sussex - traditional jobs like fishing were in decline smuggling offered alternative living
  • locals who helped carry goods from ship to shore could expect to earn nearly twice average persons wage
  • smuggling earned over 6 times average labourers wage in one night
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23
Q

How many people officially ‘wanted’ as smugglers

A

In 1748 - 103

70 percent of those were labourers

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24
Q

Government view on poaching

A

Regarded as a threat to wealthy landowners property

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25
Q

Public attitudes to poaching

A

Social crime- people believed law favoured rich landowners and the punishments were too harsh and it provided food for the pot, supplementing low wages

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26
Q

Who were gamekeepers

A

Paid officials that protected game from poachers

Generally hated

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27
Q

Where did people sell their game

A

Black market - eg, John Lightwood killed nearly 80 hares and sold them for 3 shillings a piece

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28
Q

Why did demand for game grow

A

Increased population - more sophisticated diets

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29
Q

How did villagers protect poachers

A

Provided alibis and lied in court to protect from conviction

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30
Q

Punishment for possessing potential hunting weapons eg. Dogs/ Snares

A

£5 or three months in prison

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31
Q

How many active smugglers were there in 1748

A

Estimated 20,000

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32
Q

When was the French Revolution

A

1789

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33
Q

Why were the government/ landowners feeling vulnerable at the time of tolpuddle martyrs

A

French Revolution 1789 + swing riots + GNCTU

Wanted to stamp out any form of protest

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34
Q

What was the GNCTU

A

Grand National Consolidated Trade Union

  • aimed to bring workers together for better pay and conditions
  • not illegal to belong to a trade Union
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35
Q

Who were the Tolpuddle Martyrs

A

A group of six farm labourers in Dorset village led by George Loveless
There wages had been cut several times and struggled to support their families

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36
Q

Who was George loveless

A

Methodist preacher + leader of Tolpuddle Martyrs

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37
Q

What did the Tolpuddle martyrs do

A

Formed a friendly society - Friendly Society of Agricultural Workers
In order to protest about meagre wage and third pay cut - down to six shillings a week

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38
Q

When were the Tolpuddle martyrs wages cut and to how much

A

1833 - cut to six shillings

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39
Q

What did the Tolpuddle martyrs swear

A
  • swore an oath of allegiance to the Union and an oath of secrecy
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40
Q

What led to the arrest of the Tolpuddle martyrs

A

Their oath of secrecy
James Frampton (Dorset Landowner) wrote to Lord Melbourne (home secretary), to complain about their Union
They were arrested under the unlawful oaths act - 1797

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41
Q

What was the unlawful oaths act

A

Passed in 1797
Initially used to keep order in the navy - preventing mutinies
Government willing to change definition of crime for their own purposes

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42
Q

How did the authorities respond to Tolpuddle martyrs

A
  • arrested under unlawful oaths act 1797
  • sentenced to 7 years transportation to Australia
  • broke up GNCTU
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43
Q

How many days were the Tolpuddle Marty’s out on see for

A

Sentenced to 7 years transportation to Australia

We’re at sea for 111 days and had to walk over 150 miles

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44
Q

What was the pubic reaction to the Tolpuddle martyrs

A
  • widespread outcry
  • men regarded as martyrs
  • mass protests were organised - 100,000 people attended demonstration in London
  • petition was presented to parliament with 80,000 signatures
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45
Q

How many people signed petition for Tolpuddle martyrs

A

80,000

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46
Q

When were the Tolpuddle martyrs released

A

1836 - After three years they were granted a pardon and returned as heros

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47
Q

When was the metropolitan police act passed

A

1829

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48
Q

Social changed in 18th/19th century

A

Population rise - 9.5 million in 1750 to 41.5 million in 1900
Work - more people working in factories
Voting rights - by 1885, all men could right
Travel - by 1840s railways had become major form of transport
Education - by 1870 - 70% of population could read and ride in 1900 - 95%

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49
Q

Who set up the Metropolitan police force

A

Robert peel - Home Secretary in 1829

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50
Q

Who were the fielding brothers

A
  • before peel

- London magistrates Henry + John that took over Bow street’s magistrates court in 1748

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51
Q

When did the fielding brothers take over the bow streets magistrates court

A

1748

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52
Q

What did the fielding brothers do

A
  • introduced horse patrol to stop highwaymen
  • established a newspaper - hue and cry - to spread awareness of crime
  • created bow street runners
  • blamed the rise in crime on the break down in law and order and the corruption of politicians.
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53
Q

What were the bow street runners

A

A team of thief-takers who patrolled streets of London in the evening - they investigated crimes and presented them in court

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54
Q

Why did people initially fear a police force

A

It was really expensive and it may limit the peoples freedom

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55
Q

How many men did the Met have

A

3200 men

56
Q

What was the Mets uniform

A

Designed to look civilian, rather than military to distinguish them from the army, reducing public fear

57
Q

When was Robert Peel appointed Home Secretary

A

1822

58
Q

Why was peel able to set up the Met

A

Government and tax - had become more involved in people lives. War with France forced them to raise money from tax. Local authorities given power to raise their own taxes to pay for police

Increased crime - widespread belief that violent crime was increasing - crime risen sharply after French wars as of unemployment

Fear of protest - after French Revolution governments/landowners were scared

London - rapid growth of towns made use of constables inadequate - overcrowding

59
Q

How did the police develop

A

1835 - law passed that allowed towns to set up their own police force
1839 - law allowed counties to set up their own forces
1842- the met set up their first detective force
1856 - became compulsory for all towns/counties to set up police force
1870 - police helmets introduced
1878 - detective force recognised as Criminal Investigation Department - CID
1884 - over 39,000 police in over 200 forces

60
Q

When did the met set up their first detective branch

A

1842

61
Q

When did it become compulsory for all towns and counties to set up police forces

A

1856 - by this time police were respected not feared

62
Q

When was the police recognised as the CID

A

Criminal Investigation Department - 1878

63
Q

How many police officers were their in 1884

A

39,000

64
Q

How was the bloody code abolished

A

By the reforms of sir Robert Peel

Abolished at the time crime was actually increasing

65
Q

When was the last women burned for murdering her husband

A

1789

66
Q

When was the death penalty abolished for pickpocketing

A

1808

67
Q

When did the last public hanging take place

A

1868

68
Q

Reasons why the bloody code was abolished

A

Juries would not convict - frequently unwilling to find people guilty if they thought punishment was too harsh/ disproportionate. Therefore criminals felt even more confident of escaping - increase crime rate
Public executions weren’t working - crowds grew larger - newspapers publicised them more - factory’s closed down on execution day - entertainment. Increased risk of criminal escaping of riots if criminal accused of minor/social crime - sympathy
Ideas changing - some argued that punishments should aim to reform criminals + alternatives were being tried eg. transportation

69
Q

How many of those actually convicted of capital crimes were hanged

A

only 40% of those convicted of capital crimes were actually hanged. By 1800’s only 10%, despite increase in crime rate

70
Q

What was transportation

A

The system in which convicted criminals were removed from the country

71
Q

Where did the authorities first send criminals

A

To America - but became independent 1770’s

72
Q

Where did they end up sending criminals

A

Australia

73
Q

How long did the trip to Australia take

A

Up to 18 months

74
Q

Successes of transportation

A
  • Juries were more willing to convict criminals
  • by 1830s Australia became established part of British empire
  • only a minority of convicts chose to return to Britain after they gained their - ticket of leave - became respected members of community
75
Q

Failures of transportation

A
  • the crime rates increased sharply rather then fell
  • by 1830’s it became very expensive - half a million pounds every year
  • by 1830s wages in Australia were higher then in Britain - seen more as an opportunity
  • many settlers protested about leaving convicts in Australia
  • 1851 - gold was discovered in Australia - a gold rush began and thousands of people tried to go there
76
Q

When did transportation decline

A

1840s

77
Q

When did transportation end

A

1857

78
Q

How much was transportation costing

A

Half a million pounds each year

79
Q

Prison in early 1800s

A
  • all prisoners housed together - women + men + children + first time criminals + hardened criminal
  • prison wardens were unpaid - earned by charging prisoners fees for their own cell/ good food/ tobacco etc
  • prisoners had to pay a fee to be released
  • poor relied on local charities to pay their fees
  • had to pay to see a doctor - goal fever
80
Q

Disease that spread in early prisons

A

Goal fever - killed many inmates - conditions damp/ dirty/ unhealthy

81
Q

What could the prisoners pay the prison wardens for - early prisons

A

Tobacco/ good food/ beer/ visitors/ pet/ own cell

82
Q

When was the goals act

A

1823

83
Q

What did the goals act change - 1823

A
  • prisoners should be separated - no influencing others
  • female prisoners should have female wardens
  • all prisoners should attend chapel and receive religious instruction
  • magistrates inspected prisons
  • prisons must have fresh water/ healthy food
  • wardens should be paid!
84
Q

Who introduced the goals act

A

Robert peel

85
Q

Who were the two reformers

A

John Howard + Elizabeth fry

86
Q

Who is John Howard

A

Prison reformer

  • he was shocked by conditions of prisons in Bedfordshire
  • published 1777: the state of prisons in England and Wales
  • in his book, he attached the old system, especially the fees
  • he proposed separation of criminals, healthier accommodation, decent diet
  • criticised for being too lenient
87
Q

When did the met set up their ‘special branch ‘

A

1884

88
Q

What was the ‘special branch’

A

Formed to combat growing threat of terrorism from the Irish republican brotherhood

89
Q

When was the criminal records office established

A

1869 - established to compile a nationwide record of criminals, suspects and crimes

90
Q

Who was Elizabeth Fry

A

Was a Quaker with a strong religious background

91
Q

What did Elizabeth fry do

A
  • visited women in Newgate prison
  • found 300 women crammed into 3 rooms = shocked
  • witnessed two women tearing clothes off a dead baby to put on a living one
  • highlighted poor conditions and exploitation of women by male wardens
  • encouraged other Quaker’s to visit prisons + set up prayer groups
  • set up a school for the children at Newgate - taught useful work eg. Sewing
92
Q

What prison did Elizabeth fry visit and what did she witness

A

Newgate prison

  • 300 women + children/babies crammed in 3 rooms
  • two woman tearing clothes off a dead baby to give to a real one
93
Q

How many new prisons were there

A

Between 1842 and 1877 - 90 new prisons

94
Q

What was the first new prison

A

Pentonville Prison

95
Q

When was pentonville prison built

A

1842

96
Q

Why was pentonville prison initially built

A

To deal with increased number of serious criminals, no longer being transported/ executed
Aimed to reform

97
Q

Why were there many spokes in pentonville prison

A

So fewer guards were needed to supervise

98
Q

When was the separate system introduced

A

1830’s

99
Q

What was the separate system

A
  • prisoners spent all of their time in their cells - encouraged to reflect rather then be influenced
  • supported by religious instruction
  • they had to work in their cells - useful jobs eg. Weaving loom
  • exercised - had to wear masks and be 4.5 m apart
100
Q

How did criminals exercise under the separate system

A
  • wore masks so they can’t see anyone

- held a rope at 4.5m intervals to prevent communication

101
Q

Strengths of the separate system

A
  • effectively isolated criminals
  • no mixing/ negative influence
  • ended ‘school for crime’ perception
102
Q

Weaknesses of separate system

A
  • effectively places prisoners in solitary confinement
  • shocking effects - 22 went mad + 26 had nervous break downs + 3 committed suicide
  • expensive - required inmates to be housed in separate cells
103
Q

When was the silent system introduced

A

1860s

104
Q

What was the silent system

A
  • prisoners expected to be silent at all times
  • breaking rule = whipped or put on a diet of bread + water
  • food was ‘hard - fare’ = adequate but monotonous
  • hard wooden bunks replaced hammocks - deliberately uncomfortable
  • had to do hard labour - pointless work several hours a day
105
Q

What replaced hammocks in the silent system

A

Hard wooden bunks

106
Q

What was food described as under the silent system

A

Hard fare - adequate but monotonous

107
Q

Examples of hard labour under the silent system

A

Turn a crank handle up to twenty times a minute - 10,000 times a day for over 8 hours
- guards could tighten handle to make it harder

108
Q

What was the garrotting crisis

A

In 1860’s - a new crime - garrotting gangs approached their victims and chocked + robbed them

109
Q

What is the name of a booklet spreading takes of violent crime

A

Penny dreadfuls

110
Q

When was the silent system introduced

A

Under the prison act of 1865

111
Q

When did the fenians set off bombs

A

1884/5

112
Q

Why was the fenian terrorist attack embarrassing

A
  • special Irish branch set up in 1883 failed to stop plot
113
Q

When and who replaced Edmund Henderson

A

1886 - Charles warren

114
Q

Who is Charles warren

A
  • adventurous
  • joined royal engineers at 17
  • tracked down the murders of an archeological team + arrested them
  • commissar from 1886 -1888
115
Q

Who was the Home Secretary during warrens time

A

Henry Mathews

116
Q

Mathews and Warrens relationship

A

Mathew disliked warren and wanted to promote Munro instead

117
Q

Warrens approach to the met

A
  • increased military drill practise
  • tightened rules for recruitment
  • military discipline
118
Q

What was warren accused of

A
  • making the force into an army and being too harsh

- used too much force in controlling crowds in Trafalgar Square

119
Q

When and why did warren resign

A
  • 1888 + his reaction to public accusations of his forcefulness seemed like a critique to Mathews + had to resign
120
Q

What division was Whitechapel in

A

H- division

121
Q

Who were the divisions run by

A

Superintendent constable

122
Q

Who were new constables recruited by

A

By the headquarters of the met police - from 1890 was at Scotland yard

123
Q

Where were the headquarters for the met

A

From 1890 - Scotland yard

124
Q

Who were recruits

A
  • typically those who lived outside of London (I’m countryside) - seen as bigger + healthier
  • character important - good personal discipline + honesty
125
Q

Why was being a policeman attractive

A
  • offered a steady income in an age where work was temporary + low paid
  • senior positions would be given to long term serving policeman
  • after 1860 a pension was given after 30 years in the service
126
Q

Magazine in 1830s

A

punch

127
Q

Swing riots

A

In 1830 and 1831, agricultural labourers attacked houses and barns belonging to rich farmers and landowners in south-east England. They burned hayricks and smashed farm machinery.
The attacks spread across the Midlands, East Anglia and southern England.
Threatening letters were sent to landowners, signed by ‘Captain Swing’.
They were protesting about poverty and the introduction of new machinery.
The Government arrested 2,000 people. 19 were hanged, 644 were jailed and 481 were transported to Australia.

128
Q

Rebecca riots

A

Between 1839-1843, groups of farmers disguised themselves as women and attacked toll gates in west Wales. They were protesting about the high tolls, but also increasing rents, tithes and poverty. They had suffered some poor harvests, and then the price of livestock fell. Many began to struggle to pay rents, tithes, rates and the tolls.
They rode horses and were armed with sticks and axes. They attacked numerous tollgates in west Wales. The name ‘Rebecca’ was most likely a Biblical reference.

On 13 May 1839, Rebecca rioters attacked a toll gate at Efailwen. The tollhouse was burned down on 6 June and the toll gate destroyed. One toll keeper, Sarah Williams, was killed in an attack on 7 September 1843 in Hendy.

The attacks continued until 1843, but decreased after the government sent more troops to the area. Protesters began to hold peaceful meetings instead of violent attacks.

129
Q

Examples of smuggling gangs

A

Hawkurst gang

130
Q

Why were Tolpuddle martyrs punished so harshly

A
  • swing riots + Rebecca riots
  • landowners attitudes = James frampton
  • deterrent
131
Q

Why were the gunpowders plotters punished so harshly

A
  • heretics - went against religion of church
  • attempted to commit treason - against divine right of kings = James I feared possible further Catholic plots and did not have the option of employing counter-terrorism measures such as we have today.
  • deterrent = hang drawn + quartered = sent out as a warning across the country
132
Q

Explain why the met was set up

A
  • fear of crime increasing = punch + penny Dreadfuls + smugglers + garrotting crisis + highway robbery + London
  • fear of protest - swing + Rebecca riots + French Revolution
  • gov had power to raise taxes + talk about all the laws - 42/56
133
Q

French Revolution

A

The French Revolution was a period in French History where the peo- ple, due to an unfair society and taxation system, bankruptcy of the monarchy and economic hardship, overthrew Louis XVI and took con- trol of the government. It was a change in political control of the coun- try. It lasted 10 years from 1789 to 1799 when Napoleon Bonaparte overthrew the revolutionary government. Key events of the Revolution include the Storming of the Bastille, the March of the Women, The Flight to Varennes, the September massacres, the Execution of Louis XVI and the Reign of Terror.

134
Q

Explain why the death penalty was abolished

A
  • juries would not convict = 40% = transportation
  • public executions
  • ideas about punishment were changing = sir Samual romilly - 1808 pickpocketing + In 1823, Sir Robert Peel abolished the death penalty for over 180 crimes + The reduced desire for retribution can also be seen in the reduced number of corporal crimes. Only flogging remained as a physical punishment in this century.
135
Q

Public executions - extra info

A

Most towns in Wales had gallows for public executions. Some were permanent fixtures, and others would have been removed and rebuilt when needed. In Cardiff, convicts would walk from the Castle gaol to the gallows in an area in Roath still known locally as Death Junction.

Crime And Punishment (6 decks)

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