Crime and punishment in Britain c1000-present Flashcards
What are examples of crimes against the person
- murder
- assault
- public disorder
- rape
What are examples of crimes against property
- arson
- theft, such as stealing crops or poaching
- counterfeiting coins
What are examples of crimes against authority
- treason
- rebellion
What is poaching
hunting wild animals on other people’s land without paying ‘hunting rights’ is known as poaching
What kind of crime is poaching considered as
‘social’ crime because it was considered to be acceptable to many people
What were the features of William I’s Forest Laws
- about 30% of England became ‘Royal Forest’ which William I and the Norman nobility used for hunting
- royal forests were protected by new forest laws
- only those who paid for hunting rights could use the land
- in the royal forests it became illegal to graze animals, kill wild animals or take wood without a licence
What was a consequence of the Royal Forests
village communities and farms were evicted from this land which caused resentment
What was the murdrum fine
if an Anglo Saxon murdered a Norman and the culprit was not caught, a large sum of money had to be paid by the hundred where the body was found
What was a hundred
an area of land
What did Anglo-Saxons law enforcement involve
- tithings
- hue and cry
- courts
- oaths
What did a tithing do
each hundred was divided into ten tithings which meant all the people in the tithing were responsible for each other and if one didn’t attend court they would al be fined
What was a shire reeve
a local man appointed by the community to take criminals to courts and make any punishment was carried out
What did the hue and cry do
the victim or witness to a crime raised a hue and cry by shouting to alert others, anyone who heard the hue and cry was expected to chase and help catch the suspected criminal
What did the courts do
courts decided innocence or guilt, different types for each crime
What did oaths do
swearing oaths before God was a major part of Anglo-Saxon justice, the accused would swear their innocence under oath and others could support them as ‘oath helpers’
