Crime and Punishment, Industrial 1700 - 1900 Flashcards
When were the bow street runner set up ?
1749 By Henry Fielding, professional force to deal with crime. Set up horse patrols to combat highwaymen. Collected and shared information on criminals, kind of organised criminal intelligence.
What are social crimes?
Challenges to social order or society (smuggling, poaching, tax evasion, trespassing)
What goods were smuggled in the 18th century? What do people smuggle now?
Expensive materials like velvet, silk, tobacco, tea, brandy.
Tobacco, drugs, people, alcohol
Why was there an increase in smuggling in the 18th century?
The government were putting huge tax on items. Custom officials could not patrol the whole coast and often smugglers had the support of the local population
Why did people smuggle?
Most smugglers were farm labourers and could earn 7 times a day’s wage by smuggling for one night. Wealthy people also got involved into smuggling, people also turned a blind eye so they could get cheap items
What kind of people could poach?
People who owned land worth more than £100, law was in place to simply protect the rich.
What was the Black Act 1723?
Law bought in to stop poaching. hunting deer/rabbit and hares became a capital crime. Anyone with a blackened face on other land would be executed
Why did Highway robbery grow?
- Road systems improved as coaches became frequent
- Open land around towns was built on, need to travel increased
- After wars ended, demobilised soldiers struggled to make a living
- Handguns became easy to obtain
- Horses became cheaper to buy
- There were no police force and constables did not track criminals across counties
Why did highway robbery decline?
- Stagecoaches were introduced, were travellers could rest overnight
- Banking system became sophisticated, less travellers had money on them
- Mounted patrols set up around London (Bow street Runners)
- rewards were offered for information on highwaymen
- JPs refused to licence taverns frequented by highwaymen
How did Robert Peel help end the Bloody Code?
1823 Goals Act - reforming of prisons
1829 Metropolitan Police Act - setting up police
How did Juries affect the end of the bloody code?
Juries were reluctant to convict people for crimes that they didn’t believe deserved the death penalty. In 1700 only 40% of people were convicted for capital crimes. This meant criminals felt more confident of getting away with committing crime, as they knew juries wouldn’t convict them of more minor crimes like robbery or forgery. So the bloody code eventually meant that crime rates went up. Had all these unconvicted people, Peel was reforming prison. Put criminals in prison instead.
How did public executions affect the end of the bloody code?
Newspapers publicised executions and huge crowds would come out to watch them for entertainment. Public executions were designed to deter people, however people were enjoying them. Government were worried about keeping order, especially after the french revolution after the 1780s. If the people didn’t agree with the execution, there might be uproar as the crowds were huge.
How did changing public ideas effect the end of the Bloody Code?
People felt that punishments were too harsh. Transportation became the main form of punishment in the 1780s. Many people felt prisons were a better option to reform prisoners, focus on reformations.
When were the police force set up?
1829
How were the bow street runners set up
Henry and John Fielding set up the bow street runners when they too over the bow street magistrates court in the mid 1700s. They believed that rising crime was because of corrupt politicians and rising populations. Set up the runners to patrol London, introduced the Horse Patrols to stop highwaymen. Published own news paper to pass on details.
