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Crime And Punishment > Early Modern England - 1500-1700 > Flashcards

Early Modern England - 1500-1700 Flashcards

1
Q

How did social changes effect crime and punishment

A

Population growth - more unemployment

Economic change - England becoming wealthier overall but majority remained poor

Printing - made story’s/ comics of crime

Religious turmoil - cause unrest/ confusion/ religious upheave/ religious arguments

Political change - English civil war - parliament beat king / execution of King Charles I

Landowners attitudes - becoming richer/ more influential - regarded poor with suspicion

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2
Q

When was the English civil war

A

1642-1649

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3
Q

How did printing effect crime

A

Increased fear of crimes like vagrancy/ witchcraft as more people were reading about it

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4
Q

How did religion change in this period

A 
Henry VIII - Catholic then Protestant 
Edward I - Protestant 
Mary I - Catholic 
Elizabeth I - Protestant 
James I - Protestant
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5
Q

Henry VIII

A

Reigned 1509-47

Split from the Church of England when pope refused to grant him his divorce

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6
Q

How did Henry VIII deal with opposition

A

Those refusing to accept the split were executed

He used Protestant ideas to justify his divorce but he was still Catholic at heart

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7
Q

How did Edward VI deal with opposition

A

made laws requiring the people to worship in a much more Protestant way
Introduces an English prayer book
Allowed priests to marry
Simplified church designs

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8
Q

How did Mary I deal with opposition

A

Strictly Catholic
Ordered the burning of nearly 300 Protestants for heresy
Made the Pope the head of the English church again

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9
Q

How did Elizabeth I deal with opposition

A

Tried to compromise
Wanted to create a Protestant church that wasn’t too challenging to Catholic beliefs
Catholics fined for not attending church

After various plots to kill her, around 250 catholics were executed

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10
Q

How did James I deal with opposition

A

James was Protestant but was lenient towards catholics at first, however the gunpowder plot changes his attitudes

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11
Q

What crimes became more common in this era

A

Heresy and treason

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12
Q

When did heresy first become a crime

A

1382

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13
Q

What is heresy

A

A crime against the church - one held a different set if beliefs to that of the established religion at the time

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14
Q

What was the traditional punishment for heresy

A

Burning at the stake or to recant

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15
Q

What was recant

A

People accused of heresy could take the opportunity to recant
Making a public statement that you have changed your religious beliefs

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16
Q

Why were catholics unhappy when James 1 became king

A

Thought they would be able to worship more freely but actually laws against catholic tightened

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17
Q

When was the gunpowder plot

A

1605

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18
Q

Who lead the gunpowder plotters

A

Robert catesby

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19
Q

What was catesby’s aim

A

To blow up Parliament, kill James and other Protestant officials and put a catholic on the throne

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20
Q

Who did the plotters want to replace James with

A

His daughter - Elizabeth

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21
Q

What happened during the gunpowder plot

A
  • Guy Fawkes placed 36 barrels of gunpowder beneath parliament
  • An anonymous letter was sent to lord monteagle on 30th October, warning him not to attend state opening of parliament
  • he gave letter to Robert Cecil - kings chief minister
  • Cecil ordered a search of the Houses of Parliament - guy Fawkes discovered on 5th November
  • he was tortured until he revealed the name of the other plotters and signed a confession
  • soldiers killed catesby in fighting and survivors were hung, drawn and quartered
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22
Q

When was the state opening of parliament

A

5th November

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23
Q

When did lord Monteagle receive his letter

A

30th October 1605

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24
Q

Who is Robert Cecil

A

The kings chief minister

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25
Q

Why was the punishments for treason harsh

A
  • most serious crime
  • without a police force to prevent crime, harsh punishment was the only way to deter
  • was a period of political instability, due to disputes over the royal succession
  • anti-Catholicism
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26
Q

What were vagabonds

A

Unemployed homeless person

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27
Q

Why was there an increase in the number of Vagabonds

A

Rising population, fewer jobs, rising food prices

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28
Q

Why did people not like vagabonds

A
  • Bible - ‘devil makes work for idle hands’ - those unemployed might be tempted to sin
  • suspicion that vagabonds were professional criminals who chose not to work
  • fear of vagabonds forming secret criminal gangs
  • wealthier members of communities already paid poor rates - didn’t want to pay extra
  • vagabonds portrayed as criminals in cartoons/ newspapers/ books
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29
Q

What were poor rates

A

Tax paid by the wealthier members of the parish to provide relief for the poor

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30
Q

What were the vagrancy acts

A

1494 - vagabonds and beggars act - vagabonds put in stocks for three days

1547 - vagrancy act - the able bodied without work for three days were sold as slaves for two years

1597 - act for the relief of poor - split vagabonds into undeserving and deserving

1601 - poor laws - deserving given relief and underserving were whipped or sent to a correction house

31
Q

What was the reality of vagabonds

A

Rising population - bad harvests - falling wages - more poverty - more people moving around for to find work
Some were demolished soldiers
Majority were ordinary unemployed people

32
Q

How many Vagabonds did the London Bridwell (house of correction) have

A

In 1560 it has 69

33
Q

When was witchcraft made punishable by death

A

In 1542 by Henry VIII

34
Q

When was there a huge increase of witch craft in east anglia

A

Between 1645 and 1647, over 250 cases came before the authorities

35
Q

Who was at the centre of the majority of witchcraft cases

A

Mathew Hopkins

36
Q

How did Mathew Hopkins begin his work in witches

A

In 1645 - Hopkins and his assistant Jean Stearine began searching for witches. He received money for each person prosecuted for being a witch

37
Q

How many people did Mathew Hopkins accuse of witchcraft

A

Approx 300 and 112 of those were hanged

38
Q

How did Hopkins extract confession from his suspects

A

Exhausted them - kept them standing, and awake for days at a time to weaken their resistance.

39
Q

What was the evidence Hopkins used for witchcraft

A
  • if a mouse/ fly / spider found it’s way in the room, Hopkins claimed it was a ‘familiar’
  • any scar, boil or spot was regarded as a ‘devils mark’ from which ‘familiars’ sucked blood
  • when pricked with a needle the accuser doesn’t bleed
  • confessions/ witness accounts
  • when thrown in water, the accused float
40
Q

What was a ‘familiar’

A

A creature created by the Devil to do the witches bidding

41
Q

Most of those accused for witchcraft were

A

Women

42
Q

Why was there a rise in accusations of witchcraft 1645 - 47

A

Pamphlets - cheap prints often dealt with dramatic cases - widely read and kept the idea of harmful magic firmly in the publics head

Lack of authority - the civil war weakened control of the law. Superstitious locals took it into their own hands as assize judges were less able to travel - uncertain times

Religious upheavals - Protestants preached that the devil was tempting good Christian’s away from god

Changes of law - Henry VIII, Elizabeth and James I tightened laws against witches

Village tensions - in times of poverty, poor asked neighbours for help. Some villagers felt threatened by this. As most people believed that harmful magic can injure/ kill someone, poor vulnerable women were usually blamed if illness or accident struck

43
Q

What was the Mathew Hopkins pamphlet called

A

The discovery of witches - published in 1647

44
Q

What was James I book called

A

Demonologie - outlining his belief in witches, and encouraged witch hunting = 1597

45
Q

How was the witches tried

A

The accusers would present their charge and bring witnesses to support it. The accused would have to defend themselves. However around 80% were elderly widows and had no husband to speak for them

Swim test

46
Q

What was the swim test

A

Similar to medieval ‘trial by cold water’. Accused had their hands bound and a rope tied around their waist before being lowered into water. If they float, they would be examined for the devils marks as final proof

47
Q

What was the punishment for witchcraft

A

Hanging

48
Q

How did policing continue from the late Middle Ages

A

Hue and cry still used, lead by the constable

Citizens still expected to deal with crime themselves - community reliant eg. If someone was robbed it was their responsibility to hunt down and find the criminal

Constables still had an unpaid and part-time role. They didn’t go out on patrol and dealt with every day crime eg, drunkenness

Coroners still investigated unnatural deaths

49
Q

How did policing change from the late Middle Ages

A

Watchmen

Sergeants

Rewards - were offered for the arrest of particular criminals accused of serious crimes. Could be equivalent to a years income for a middle class family

50
Q

What were watchmen

A

Watchmen were employed in larger towns to patrol the streets day and night. They were expected to arrest vagabonds and drunks. They poorly paid and often little of use

Carried a lamp and a bell + heavier coat. Overseen by town cons tables

  • became known as Charlies, or Charleys, after 1663 when Charles II set up a force of paid Watchmen to patrol the streets
  • Watchman marked a significant change away from communities policing themselves.
51
Q

What were sergeants

A

Sergeants were employed in towns to enforce market regulations by weighing the goods and collecting fines if standards were not met.

52
Q

What did the courts rely on

A

Local jury

53
Q

Continuities of trial since late Middle Ages

A
  • still relied on local jury’s
  • manor courts dealt with local, minor crimes - eg. Selling underweight bread
  • royal judges still visited each county twice a year - county Assizes
54
Q

What were county assizes

A

Royal judges visiting each county twice a year to deal with most serious offences

55
Q

What was new regarding trials

A
  • JP became more important - held quarter sessions
  • those accused of commiting serious crimes could no longer claim benefit of the clergy
  • Habeas Corpus act 1679
56
Q

How did justices of the peace become more important

A
  • judges Manor court cases
  • they could fine people/ send them to stocks or pillories/ order them to be whipped
  • they were assisted by the Constable
  • they held quarter sessions - 4 times a year
57
Q

What were quarter sessions - JPs

A

Four times a year, they would meet with the tiger JPs in the county at quarter sessions, where they would judge more serious cases

Had the power to sentence someone to death

58
Q

Why did they stop allowing those accused of serious crimes claim benefit of the clergy

A

Most ordinary people were able to read the ‘neck verse’ by 1600

59
Q

When was the habeas Corpus act passed

A

In 1679

60
Q

What was the Habeas Corpus Act

A

It prevented the authorities from locking a person up indefinitely without charge
It states anyone who was arrested had to appear in court within a certain time it be released
Stoped the fear in people of being locked up without trial

61
Q

When was the bloody code introduced

A

1688

62
Q

What was the bloody code

A

The number of crimes carrying the death penalty increased dramatically, even for minor crimes such as poaching/ petty theft
In 1688 - 50 crimes by 1815 - 225

63
Q

How much did the number of crimes increase by in the bloody code

A

1688 - 50

1815 - 225

64
Q

the bloody code was introduced when the crime rate was…

A

Falling - however the public didn’t know this

65
Q

Why was the bloody code introduced

A
  • pamphlets often portrayed horrific details about robberies/ murders/ vagabonds/ witches, which increased the fear of criminals = talk about vagabonds
  • since the Middle Ages, towns have grown in population - hue and cry became less effective - streets were more crowded so easier to commit crime = 6.5 million = public executions = economic + social changes
  • the government who passed the laws that made up the bloody code were all wealthy landowners and wanted to protect land - had the most to lose from crimes against property = all the crimes under the bloody code
  • people believed severe punishments were the most effective - acting as a deterrent + retribution
66
Q

What other punishments were used

A 
Pillories 
Fines
Whipping
Houses of correction
Prisons 
Transportation
67
Q

What was the pillories/ whipping intended to do

A

Shame and humiliate
Used for cheating on cards/ swearing/ selling underweight bread
Whipping - corporal punishment - humiliation and pain

68
Q

What was prisons used for

A

For those awaiting trial

Expensive so barely used

69
Q

What were houses of correction

A

Buildings to punish and reform
Became known as Bridewells
Criminals were whipped and made to do hard labour

70
Q

When did transportation start

A

Late 1660’s

71
Q

What was transportation

A

Criminals were sent to American colonies
Transportation for life was used for murderers
Once in America, treated similar to slaves

72
Q

What encouraged anti- catholic attitudes after gunpowders

A

The ‘king’s book published soon after the uncovering of the plot, included an account by James himself of the events of the plot, alongside Fawkes’ confession. This helped encourage anti-Catholic attitudes.

73
Q

How did gunpowder plot effect catholics

A

In 1606, a law called the Popish Recusants Act forced Catholics to take an oath of allegiance to the English crown. They were also forced to take part in Church of England services and rituals - or pay fines.

The plot continued to have an impact on Catholics in England for centuries after the event. They were restricted from voting, becoming MPs, or owning
land. They were also banned from voting in any elections until 1829,

74
Q

Public executions

A

Most towns in Wales had gallows for public executions. Some were permanent fixtures, and others would have been removed and rebuilt when needed. In Cardiff, convicts would walk from the Castle gaol to the gallows in an area in Roath still known locally as Death Junction.

= Executions continued to be carried out publicly in the 18th century, mostly outside Newgate Prison in London. After 1783, a swifter method of execution was used, with the removal of a platform below the prisoner. This broke the neck of the criminal and led to a swifter and less painful death.

Crime And Punishment (6 decks)

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