Early Modern Flashcards
5 examples of crime in the early modern period
Vagrancy
Moral crime
Witchcraft
Smuggling
Highway robbery
What punishments were kept the same
Fines
Pillory
Stocks
Ducking stall
What were some new punishments
Public penance
Scopes bridle
Branding
Cucking stall
What was a public penance
Apology in front of the church
What was the scolds bridle
A peice of head gear that went into your mouth to stop you talking, used for scolding women
What was a bridewel
A house of correction for criminals
What was the 1531 gaol act
Justice of the peace could build prisons where there was demand
What was the act that meant Jps had to build a bridewell in every county
1509 vagabond act
When was the bloody code
1688
What was the 1723 black act
Poaching deer became a capital offence
What courts were there (5)
Assizes, quarter sessions, petty sessions, manorial courts and church courts
Why did witchcraft trials increase in the early modern period
The plague and famine and English civil war
What did James 1 do that drew attention to witchcraft
Write a book called demonology
What caused an increase in crime
A population boom
Most crimes continued like
Minor low value thefts of money belongings and food
What declined as justices of the peace importance increased
Man our courts and sheriffs
When did vagrancy first appear
During the Black Death 1347-1351, some turned to crime , forced to look for jobs due to poverty
What happened to stop vagrancy
Is became illegal
What was the huge religious change
Henry 8 thhad split from the Roman church and became head of the Church of England by 1534
What happened due to tension between catholics and Protestants
Gunpowder plot of 1605 against James 1, wanted to blow up the Protestant parliament
What defined witchcraft as a criminal offence and punishable by death
Witchcraft act of 1542
what was abolished for those convicted of witchcraft
The benefit of the clergy
What led to freedom of movement
Improving roads and transportation and greater wealth
When and where did highway robberies take place
17th century very common, main routes surrounding london
What created a black market
Government placing heavy taxes on imports like tea awhiskey and wine
What caused an increase in heresy
Easy to question religious ideas when the king had created a whole new church
Who was executed for not accepting Henry’s role as head of the Church of England (they thought it should be the pope)
Cardinal John fisher , John more
What did fisher deny Henry 8th
His first divorce
How many heretics were killed
300 burnt at the stake under rule of Queen Mary when she revived the heresy act,
What did local communities still use
But and cry and tithings
Courts in early modern period
Man our and church court decline in influence
Court higherschy remained the same
Who were thief takers
Hired to find offender and bring to justice , many victims offered rewards
Example of theirf taker
Johnathan wild
Constables
Deleted from wealthy elite, arrest or hold offenders, not expected to investigate , issue some punishments
Night watchers
Held criminals until Constable was available , form of deterrence , organised by rota very unpopular
Royal courts
Murder and treason
What were the travelling courts / assizes
Held in different countries twice a year, giving locals an oppuritunity to bring forward problems /serious crimes
Justices of the peace
Increased during this era. Heard less serious crime , met four times a year in quarterly sessions ,
What did justices of the peace do to deal with population boom
Dealt with petty crimes out side official sessions
By the end of the 16th century, what did church courts deal with
Religious issues like failing to attend church
What were the stocks
Feet locked in a wooden structure for hours days or weeks in a public area where people would throw food and verbally abuse, often die from weather exposure
What started to appear in courts
Lawyers and juries
Crimes commonly punished by fines
Failure to attend church, gambling , petty theft
What were birdewells often used for
Holding vagabonds , and making them work
What was vagrancy punished with
Whipping
What was the pillory
More serious than the stocks, locked head and hands
What were prisons used for before the gaol act
Hold accused until trial
How did the bloody code start
The Waltham black act of 1723, allowing 200 petty offences to be punishable by death
Who got execution with a sharp axe
Those rich enough to pay, if not hung drawn and quartered
The transportation act of
1718
What happened to the rate of executions during the bloody code
Decreased from 150 in London to 20 as judges didn’t want to sentence death
Transportation act of 1718
The court could send people to America for 7 years , capital offense of pardoned by the king
When did transportation turn to Australia
1787
