Crime and Punishment c.1000-1500

Question 1

Tithings

Answer 1

Groups of 10 men responsible for each other - if one broke the law, the others had to bring him to court
Every man over 12 expected to join

Question 2

Hue and Cry

Answer 2

When called by victim/witness, entire village was expected to drop everything and hunt the criminal. If someone didn’t, the whole village would pay a heavy fine.

Question 3

Trial by local jury

Answer 3

Made up of men from the village who knew the accuser and the accused. They decided guilt/innocence based on their knowledge of the people.

Question 4

Compurgation

Answer 4

Oath sworn by others to establish innocence of the accused.

Question 5

Trial by ordeal

Answer 5

Turned to God to decide guilt/innocence of a person if local jury couldn’t do so. Accused would fast for 3 days and hear a Mass to prepare.
Always in presence of priest.
Abolished in 1215.

Question 6

Trial by ordeal - Trial by hot iron

Answer 6

Accused picks up hot iron and walks 3 paces with it, the hand is bandaged for 3 days.
If wound healed cleanly = innocent.
If wound festered = guilty.

Question 7

Trial by ordeal - Trial by hot water

Answer 7

Accused puts hand into boiling water to pick up an object, hand/arm bandaged for 3 days.
If wound healed cleanly = innocent.
If wound festered = guilty.

Question 8

Trial by ordeal - Trial by cold water

Answer 8

Accused tied with a knot above waist and lowered into the water.
If accused sank below = innocent.
If accused floated = guilty (rejected by God’s pure water).

Question 9

Trial by ordeal - Trial by blessed bread

Answer 9

Priest prays that accused would choke if he’s lying.
Accused ate bread, guilty if he chokes.

Question 10

Wergild

Answer 10

Fine paid to victims of a crime or their family.

Question 11

Capital Punishment

Answer 11

Killing someone for committing treason against the King or betraying the Lord.
- used to deter others and show the importance of loyalty to King, who was chosen by God

Question 12

Corporal Punishment

Answer 12

Physical punishment often used on re-offenders e.g. mutilation to deter them.

Question 12

Murdrum Fine

Answer 12

Expensive fine paid by all the people of a certain region if a Norman was murdered.

This is because Normans built many castles to help control the land, sometimes destroying Anglo-Saxon homes, which led to some Saxons fighting back and killing Norman soldiers.

Question 13

Forest Laws

Answer 13

Forbade cutting trees for fuel or building,
Forbade people in forests from owning dogs or bows and arrows.
Anyone caught hunting deer had their first 2 fingers chopped off.
Re-offenders were blinded.

Question 14

Tithing + Hue and Cry

Answer 14

Local communities were effective in policing themselves so the Normans kept this.

Question 15

Trial by combat

Answer 15

Normans kept trial by ordeal but introduced trial by combat.
Accused fought with the accuser until one was killed or unable to fight on.
Loser was hung - God had judged him to be guilty.

Question 16

Capital Punishment under Normans

Answer 16

William used capital punishment for serious crimes and re-offenders.

Question 17

Wergild under Normans

Answer 17

Normans ended wergild.
William ordered that fines should be paid to the King’s officials, not to the victim or their family.
Fines were used for lesser crimes.

Question 18

Women

Answer 18

Under Anglo-Saxons, women were given almost equal rights in law with men.
Under Normans, law was harsher on women. A Norman legal text said: “Women’s authority nil. Let her in all things be subject to the rule of men.”

Question 19

Church Courts

Answer 19

Normans introduced separate courts used for churchmen which tended to be more lenient.

Question 20

Social crime

Answer 20

An act most people don’t believe as criminal and commit or ignore.

Local communities were willing to turn a blind eye to people hunting or collecting firewood from the King’s forests as they regarded the Forest Laws as unfair.