crime and punishment

Question 1

different periods of time

Answer 1

• middle ages, 1000-1500
  -early modern period, 1500-1700
  -industrial revolution, 1700-1900
  -20th century, 1900-2000, but also up to modern day

Question 2

whitechapel

Answer 2

district in the East End of London
It was a hive of beggars, prostitutes, criminals and
alcoholics
widespread unemployment. around up to 1 in 30 people were homeless.
Charles Booth investigated East End living conditions between 1889-1903 and found that 37.5% East Londoners were living in utter poverty.
The police were rarely ready to deal with crime. For example this was a time that Jack the Ripper operated in the East End of London

Question 3

conditions in whitechapel

Answer 3

serious overcrowding - Criminals, very poor families and those that just made enough were all mixed in
In some homes there were up to 40 people living in one home. Some lived in a cellar or you may find 10 sleeping in the same room.
many brothels and pubs all around
no clean water going into most homes, rats were everywhere
Diseases were frequent
There was a workhouse in Whitechapel where people could go to find a place to stay but they had to work. The work was hard and their treatment was poor. - It was designed to make them want to leave and not stay to scrounge

Question 4

rising tensions in whitechapel

Answer 4

Thousands of Jews had fled persecution from Europe arriving in Whitechapel. East Europeans and Irish people were also migrating to England in large numbers
Jews in particular dressed differently and ate different food. They mainly spoke Yiddish. Locals were suspicious of these different customs.
Immigrants accepted low paid jobs which some believed stopped others getting work. The Jewish holy day is on Saturday so they still worked on a Sunday. Local
shopkeepers suspected Jews were open this day only to steal their business. Jews often charged less for their products breaking pricing laws but as the police could not
speak their language and most Jews could not speak English the crime went unpunished. This led to a increase in anti-Semitic violence.

Question 5

police in whitechap

Answer 5

The Metropolitan Police force was split into 20 divisions, each responsible for a district of London
and named with a letter of the alphabet. Whitechapel was covered by H Division.
There were also 27 inspectors, 37
sergeants and 500 ordinary constables

Question 6

policing whitechapel

Answer 6

Questioning what people were up to at night
A constable could be fined if he missed a crime or was not on his beat.
Sergeants sometimes followed constable to ensure they were doing their job and not sleeping in
doorways

Question 7

police difficulties

Answer 7

Police were often disliked due to their links to the government which was unpopular due to mass unemployment
Criminal gangs offered protection rackets. Businesses would be approached & told they would be ‘protected’ if they gave money. Refusals led to violence or
building damage. Ordinary people were too terrified to report it so the police could not get evidence
With high unemployment many people turned to crime. For the police it was difficult to keep on top of it & so they often ignored fights completely as they
were overstretched

Question 8

jack the ripper
context

Answer 8

In 1888 5 women were killed in and around Whitechapel. The police were never able to
capture this person. Many people blame this on the H division police force of Whitechapel. The
killer’s identity has never been revealed and is only known as’ Jack the Ripper’

Question 9

why the ripper was never caught
police fault

Answer 9

There was rivalry between police forces. A key piece of evidence, (a message written in chalk on a wall) that was located just outside Whitechapel was wiped away.
This was done on orders from the London Police Commissioner Charles Warren who didn’t want a rival police force using it
The police failed to pay the dog’s owners of the sniffer dogs they used so they refused to work with the police anymore.

Question 10

why the ripper was never caught
not police fault

Answer 10

300 letters or postcards were sent to them or newspapers claiming to be the murderer. These would need to be all investigated, time consuming
The police did use expert advice from doctors who did post mortems. They did learn the Ripper was left handed was likely to have had medical training.
The Police did house to house searches and spoke to over 2000 residents

Question 11

positives of jack the ripper

Answer 11

Police now ensured they took ‘mug
shots’ as well as physical measurement (Bertillon System).
Introduced telephone lines so
communication was quicker. Bikes
were later introduced too.
Slum Housing & public Health was
improved meaning that with people living in better conditions they were less likely to turn to crime.

Question 12

middle ages
saxon background

Answer 12

Kings made the laws & decided penalties & had a duty to keep peace (King’s peace)
Nobles assisted the king in keeping law
Church important to people and wanted to save the souls of criminal
Capital punishment (death penalty) increased

Question 13

saxon crimes

Answer 13

Crimes against the person (e.g assault, murder)
Crimes against property (e.g theft, robbery, arson)
Crimes against authority (e.g such as monarch, nobles, landowners)

Question 14

saxon law enforcement

Answer 14

Court trials: Saxons used trial by jury.
*Both sides could present their evidence before the jury reached a verdict.
*You could take an oath calling on God as your witness.
*Local witnesses were allowed to be called.
Trial by ordeal: If no verdict was reached it was handed over to God to decide
*Trial by hot iron or hot water. The accused could hold a red hot iron or put hands in boiling
water. If the wounds took a long time to heal you were guilty.
*Trial by cold water. Accused was put into water & if they floated they were guilty as the water
rejected them. If they sunk they were pure & therefore innocent.

Question 15

saxon punishments

Answer 15

*Capital punishment - (death penalty). Hanging most common form of capital punishment.
Mainly used for crimes like treason or arson.
*Corporal punishment - (physical punishment). Mutilation was the worse. Removing a foot or
eye. Was meant to be harsh to act as a deterrent for others.
*Stocks - (for legs) and pillories (for arms). Public punishment - used to humiliate - people
would throw rubbish at the criminal.
*The Wergild - A system of fines for assault or murder paid to the victim in compensation. The
more important the body part injured the bigger the fine. The fine was bigger if the person
hurt was considered a more important person like a noble.

Question 16

middle ages
norman background

Answer 16

Normans replaced the Saxons after defeat of Harold at the Battle of Hastings.
King William (William the conqueror) introduced some new laws.
There was an increase in capital punishments to deal with rebellion against the Normans.
Clear social structure – ‘Feudal System’: King - barons and nobles - knights – peasants.
King was responsible for keeping his people safe. Known as the King’s Mund

Question 17

new norman crimes

Answer 17

Forest Laws - Hunting in the King’s forest was now a crime known as poaching. People now
needed a permit to hunt and these were difficult to obtain.
It became illegal for peasants to leave a lord’s land to go elsewhere for work.
Slander - Illegal to make false claims against others.
Rise in outlaws (people who fled justice). Folville Gang most famous outlaws

Question 18

norman law enforcements

Answer 18

change:
The Murdrum – offered protection to the Normans by imposing a heavy fine for a whole village if
the body of a Norman was found nearby.
Communities still responsible for catching criminals and were fined – but the fine went to the
King instead of the family of the victim.
CONTINUITY & CHANGE:
Trial by ordeal continued but a new one was added. Trial by combat. Usually a fight to the death to settle disputes over land or money.
continuity:
Anyone who ran away from a crime was an outlaw. It was legal for anyone to kill an outlaw

Question 19

norman punishments

Answer 19

CHANGE:
The Murdrum Fine replaced the Wergild. Fines were paid to the king’s officials rather than to the
victim in compensation.
CONTINUITY & CHANGE:
Capital punishment remained but was used more often, including for new crimes such as
poaching (aimed at deterring others)
CONTINUITY:
Stock and pillories remained for less serious crimes such as stealing. Beatings and hangings
continued for repeat offenders.

Question 20

middle ages
the role of the church

Answer 20

The Church was very important because people believed the Church could save them from hell.
Trial by ordeal:
The Church could decide if someone was guilty of a crime by
using hot iron, hot water and cold water. This was used if the local court’s could not decide guilt. In the later Middle Ages the Pope ended trial by ordeal much to the anger of the King who relied on this justice.
Church courts
The Church claimed the right to put on trial any churchman that
committed a crime. Churches also dealt with moral crimes such
as drunkenness and adultery. Church courts never sentenced
people to death. The King could do nothing to stop any of this.
Benefit of the Clergy:
If someone had committed a crime but could prove they had a
connection to the Church they could claim benefit of the clergy.
This meant they avoided the King’s courts and would be tried in the more lenient Church court. You would have to prove you were a member of the Church however. To do this you had to read a verse from the bible. Most people could not read but Church members could.

Question 21

Later Middle Ages Background

Answer 21

Power of the king’s continued to increase
Parliament did assist the king in making some laws too.
The king sometimes worked with the Church when it came to crime

Question 22

Later Middle Ages Crimes

Answer 22

*Statute of Labourers - This made it a crime to demand higher wages. The Black Death had killed
millions and so the peasants were desperately needed. This made them believe they could
demand higher wages. The King wanted to stop this.
Hersey - Some people questioned the Church. The Kings wanted to support the Church so made it
illegal to go against the Church.
Crimes like violence, murder, poaching continued throughout this period.

Question 23

Later Middle Ages Law Enforcement

Answer 23

change:
Constables were introduced. One person who led the Hue and Cry. Constables only served a year
before someone else took the role
The Coroner was a new role. They investigated suspicious death
Justices in the Eyre - These were royal judges sent to towns to deal with the most serious of
crimes
CONINUITY:
Manor and Royal Courts were still used as were Church courts

Question 24

Later Middle Ages Punishments

Answer 24

CHANGE:
Hung, drawn and quartered was a new punishment (for most serious of crimes like treason. This
was hanging until almost dead then cutting open and removing intestines and bowels and then
beheading. Was very harsh to stop others from committing the crime in future (a deterrent)
Burning at the stake (most commonly used for heresy as it purified the soul)
CONTINUITY:
Still relied heavily on fines, corporal punishment such as mutilation and hanging executions for other crimes

Question 25

early modern period crimes

Answer 25

*HERESY AND TREASON: Monarchs were now the head of the Church. If you followed a
different religion to the monarch that made you a traitor for questioning them and a heretic for
going against their religion.
*WITCHCRAFT: Due to a lack of scientific knowledge and religious hatred Henry VIII passed the
witchcraft Act that made witchcraft punishable by death. Elizabeth eased this with a law
starting only witchcraft that caused death had the death penalty. However, James I who
strongly believed in witches passed a law called the Witchcraft and Conjuration Act in 1604 that
gave the death penalty to anyone summoning evil spirits. The hysteria was worsened with the
witchfinder Matthew Hopkins who used tricks to find witches. With the enlightenment (using
science) this hysteria ended by 1700.
VAGABONDAGE: Due to a rising population and a lack of jobs there was a rise in vagabonds.
Poor, sometimes beggars, travelling from town to town. The Vagrancy Act of 1547 made it
illegal to beg.

Question 26

EMP law enforcement

Answer 26

CONTINUITY:
Rewards for the most serious crimes were still used.
Justices of the Peace - Important local men were still used in larger towns. Constable assisted
them. Could hand out minor punishments like stocks and pilloried.
CHANGE:
Professional thief takers. These were groups of men who were hired by victims to
hunt down criminals if a towns constable had been unsuccessful. Thief takers would be paid a
reward. However, they were often criminal themselves, e.g. Jonathan Wild.

Question 27

EMP punishments

Answer 27

PRISONS: First purpose built prisons made. Inmates forced to do hard labour.
TRANSPORTATION: Sent to do hard labour in America (later Australia) helping build the new
colonies. Unlikely to be able to afford to come back after sentence was served. Many died on
harsh voyage there or the harsh conditions there.
BLOODY CODE: The increase in crimes carrying the death penalty. It was supposed to deter
people from committing crimes. It did not work as a deterrent as most crimes were committed
by poor people in a state of desperation.
OTHER PUNISHMENTS: Vagrants faced corporal punishment. You would be publically shamed if
you broke Puritan moral laws. Hung, drawn and quartered for heresy and treason.

Question 28

industrial period
background

Answer 28

: During the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, there was a huge growth in Britain’s population. More people meant the need for more efficient methods of farming. There
were protests against new machinery which then meant new crimes. During times of economic
hardship, riots and demonstrations became more common. This period also saw the start of a professional police force

Question 29

industrial period crimes

Answer 29

Smuggling. Smuggling continued but intensified. More goods now had import duties
(taxes) on them. Many people struggled for money so avoiding paying tax on goods.
This led to a rise in smuggling gangs who took advantage. This was viewed as a social
crime (not hurting anyone and out of necessity). This crime began to drop when the
government lowered import taxes
Poaching. Poaching continued but intensified. Again this was a social crime. Poor
people poached out of desperation. Poaching gangs took advantage. There was even
a black market for poached good
Highway robbery. Although these sorts of robberies existed. Due to the
improvements in roads it became a huge problem. More people travelled and had
their money on them as there were no banks at the start of this period. Highway were
robbers on horseback. There were also footpads. Robbers on horseback. This was seen as a serious and violent crime

Question 30

IP law enforcement

Answer 30

in the early 18th century the law continued to be enforced with a combination of methods used previously
- community constables dealt with disorderly behaviour and petty crime
- nightwatch men who protected private property
- part time soldiers who dealt with rebellions or riots

Question 31

bow street runners

Answer 31

Started by Henry and John Fielding who were London magistrates based in Bow Street
They believed there was a need for men patrolling the streets to stop crime
They started a crime fighting team called the Bow Street Runners in 1748
Fielding’s used professional thief takers but monitored them to make sure they were not
corrupt
The objective was to stop crime by having a more visible force on the streets
They initially charge a fee for their service or collected rewards. Eventually the government
paid them and it led to the first detective agency being set up
A newspaper called the Hue and Cry shared news about crimes, criminals and stolen
goods. This was the start of a network helping to solve crimes nationally. The Bow Street
Runners used this
Bow Street Runners were the first steps to a professional police force

Question 32

Robert Peel and the Metropolitan Police Force (the Met)

Answer 32

Replaced the Bow Street Runners
* Home Secretary Robert Peel set up the first professional police force in 1829
* Peel was big believer in criminal being able to reform and was a supporter of prisons (penal
reform). He also helped end the Blood Code
* Initially set up in London. Each of the 17 districts in London had 4 detectives and 144
constables. This large number was supposed to deter criminals or catch them in the act
* In an effort to be visible and seen in a good light. Police wore a blue uniform and a top hat
* In 1842 a specialised detective unit was set up to solve crimes. The detectives wore plain
clothes
* In 1878 the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) was set up. Over 1000 detectives
belonged to this and they now used fingerprints and handwriting investigations to solve
crimes
* Outside London improvements were slow until the government introduced the 1856 Police
Act. All police forces were now inspected by the government and all agreed the main aim
of policing should be deterrence.

Question 33

industrial punishments

Answer 33

prisons:
prison was rarely used as a punishment. It was mainly just for holding a
suspect in the run up to their trial or punishment. There had been exceptions to this such
as the Bridewell Prison built in the 16th century that was built to hold criminals for a longer
period.
* During the late 1700s and 1800s the use of imprisonment grew. This was largely due the
decline of the Bloody Code and concerns over transportation. Prisons gave offenders the
chance to reform and it made society safer as criminals were separated from the rest of
society.

Question 34

Tolpuddle Martyrs context

Answer 34

The French Revolution in 1789 saw the French monarchy being overthrown. The
government became terrified it happening in Britain. Landowners and politicians viewed every
protest as a potential riot uprising.
They were particularly anxious about the Grand National Consolidated Trades Union, which
aimed to give workers better conditions. Trade unions were not illegal but employers
believed that by demanding better pay & conditions, unions threatened their interests.

Question 35

What happened with the Toldpuddle Martyrs

Answer 35

Life was tough for farm workers in the town of Tolpuddle
* Local labourers led by George Loveless asked for their wages to be increased. The
request was denied and their wages were cut even more
* Loveless set up a trade union , the Friendly Society of Agricultural Labourers , that was
designed to protest against their low wages. They took an oath to help each other
* The government didn’t like this new Friendly society and used an old navy law about not
taking secret oaths and applied it to Loveless and his men to make up a crime
This showed the government could just the change the law and crime to suit their
purposes
* Loveless and his men were sentences to transportation to Australia to do hard labour for
7 years and Trade Unions were seriously weakened
* There was outrage at their treatment in Britain and after 4 years of protest they were
pardoned and eventually allowed home
* The trade union movement eventually recovered
This showed that public opinion could also affect laws and punishments

Question 36

Pentonville Prison (1842)
why was the prison built

Answer 36

Pentonville Prison was built to keep prisoners separate. First prison to do this. Prisoners
stayed in separate isolated prisons up to 23 hours a day. Separate conditions Intended to:
* Give prisoners solitude so they could reflect on what they had done wrong
* Ensure prisoners were not influenced by other criminals
* Deter people from committing crimes because of the serious nature of the punishment
* Ensure the criminal ‘paid’ for their behaviour and crime(s) they had committed

Question 37

THE PENTONVILLE PRISON BUILDING

Answer 37

There were 5 wings. Each could accommodate up to 520 prisoners.
* The cells were small with only one small window high up to let in a little natural light.
The window had thick glass with iron bars to protect it
* There was heating & a ventilation system and there was piper water to each cell. This
comfort was added to ensure the prisoners did not need to leave their cell

Question 38

pentonville prison living conditions

Answer 38

Isolated and their work was boring and repetitive
* Allowed out to do exercise but had to wear masks so they could not communicate
* Due to isolation many developed mental conditions. Some committed suicide

Question 39

Pentonville Prison REFORMS AND CHANGE

Answer 39

Reformers like Elizabeth Fry said prisoners needed to be able to talk about what they
had done. 1923 Gaol’s Act by Robert Peel also improved conditions. It said prisoners:
Receive visits from chaplains, not be in chains, female prisoners watched by female guards

Question 40

20th century/modern crimes
changes

Answer 40

HOMOSEXUALITY: This was illegal until 1967. Crimes against homosexuals then intensified. The government passed 2005 Criminal Justice Act that made this a hate crime
DOMESTIC VIOLENCE. Governments used to largely ignore this as accepted
men were dominant. Due to the domestic Violence Act of 1967 this became a crime. In 1991 the government also recognised rape in a relationship and in 2014 a further law was added to stop a partner controlling another
* ABORTION: Up until 1967 it had been illegal to have an abortion. To stop dangerous illegal (backstreet) abortions, it was legalised under the 1967 Abortion Act so long as it could be proved the child would have a disability,
birth risked the woman’s health and the pregnancy had not gone past 28 weeks
DRINK DRIVING: This had been illegal since 1925. The government passed further laws that limited the amount of alcohol in their system. Many ignored this until the government’s media campaign against it. The same applied with
speeding and using a mobile phone
* DRUGS: Many drugs were not illegal until 1971. The government’s 1971 Drugs Misuse Act changed this. It caused controversy as some argued drugs were a personal choice. Others said it caused other crimes & led to social issues

Question 41

20th century/modern crimes
continuities

Answer 41

TERRORISM: Had existed for centuries. It is used for fear to bring about political or religious change. For example Guy Fawkes and Gunpowder Plot in the
Early Modern Period. Terrorist attacks have intensified in 20th century. The IRA used violence to try and get independence for Northern Ireland. Al-Qaeda
and Islamic State have carried out attacks in recent times. Animal activists have also used violence
* PEOPLE TRAFFICING:
Black slaves had been taken as part of the Triangular Trade in the Industrial Period or even girls sold into prostitution. It still occurs in more recent time as people are sold as slaves into work or forced to work for very low wages
* EXTORTION: Threatening or blackmailing for money. In the past this would have been done by letter or in person. In the 20th century this would most likely happen by phone or over the internet

Question 42

20c-mod
law enforcement

Answer 42

CONTINUITY AT THE START OF 20TH CENTURY
At the start of the 20th century there were no central records
for crime and police officers, who were all male, travelled by foot
and used a whistle to call for assistance
CHANGES AS 20TH CENTURY WENT ON
Women were recruited to join the police force in the 1920s
The police force now used science to help them (DNA - blood types - fingerprints)
Specialist departments were set up. The Bomb Squad was set up in
1971 to deal with the growing terrorist threat of the IRA.

Question 43

PREVENTION AND SOLVING CRIME

Answer 43

continuity:
A neighbourhood watch was set up in 1982 meaning that the local community helped to reduce crime by neighbours looking out for crime & reporting it to the police. (Hue and cry had used the community in previous eras but neighbourhood watch is voluntary)
CHANGE:
A huge DNA database and forensic teams mean that crimes can often be tracked backed to an individual. Facial and voice recognition means officers can quickly find a criminal from hours of videotapes or recordings

Question 44

20th CENTURY-MODERN PUNISHMENTS

Answer 44

Use of death penalty began to decrease from the start of the 20th century
The 1908 Children’s Act said under 16s could no longer be executed. By 1933 a second Children’s Act made it no under 18 to be executed.
Life imprisonment became the harshest punishment available to courts and judges
Community service and fines now heavily used