Enforcing law and order

Question 1

Geographical organisation of medieval England

Answer 1

Shire = county

Hundred = divided shires into hundreds

Parish = small community, 10 per hundred

Question 2

Court organisation of medieval England

Answer 2

Royal court

Shire court

Hundred court

Church court

Question 3

Royal court in medieval England

Answer 3

For the most important crimes such as treason
Or if a nobleman was on trial
Oversaw by king

Question 4

Shire court

Answer 4

2nd most important for serious crimes like murder

Question 5

Hundred/ manor court

Answer 5

Owned by a private landowner
For petty crimes
Jury consisted of a local Lord or a JP and locals
Considered hearsay over evidence

Question 6

Church court

Answer 6

Only for clergy for moral crimes such as adultery or not knowing the Bible
Judged by bishops and priests

Question 7

Advantages of medieval court system

Answer 7

Crimes being judged were fit for the judge

Question 8

Disadvantages of medieval court system

Answer 8

Based on hearsay rather than evidence
Jury consists of locals in low level courts so they could have a grudge on the defendant and get them declared guilty, or try protect them

Question 9

Who was responsible for enforcing the law in medieval era?

Answer 9

Local/self policing
But developed roles such as Sheriff, JP, chief Constable, parish Constable and night watchmen

Question 10

Methods of medieval self policing

Answer 10

Tithings
Hue and cry

Question 11

Medieval tithings and how they worked

Answer 11

Groups of 10 men
If a member committed a crime it was everyone else in the tithing’s responsibility to bring him to justice

Question 12

Hue and cry method and how it worked

Answer 12

If the tithing members weren’t present to tackle the criminal, victim would cry for help
Then everyone who heard should come and help

Question 13

The medieval sheriff

Answer 13

A royal official who was responsible for order in a shire (county)
Was a volunteer but had high social status

Question 14

What was the job of a medieval sheriff

Answer 14

Raise a posse to capture criminals who escaped the hue and cry method

Question 15

Medieval posse

Answer 15

A group of armed men who helped the sheriff capture escaped criminals

Question 16

County assizes

Answer 16

When the royal court would go to every county and hear the serious crimes committed there
Carried on from medieval era to 1971

Question 17

How did the medieval policing system develop?

Answer 17

They appointed the parish constable and chief Constable
JPs as in pain volunteers who set up courts to hear cases as magistrates

Question 18

How did policing change in early modern era?

Answer 18

A rise in civic duty with increased responsibility on the JP, Parish Constable, Town watchmen etc
But still responsibility remained on the local community to an extent

Question 19

Why did policing change In early modern era?

Answer 19

Because of a rising population, people lived in larger communities so it was easier to get away
More mobility to get away with crime

Question 20

Civic duties in early modern era

Answer 20

JP
Parish Constable
Town watchman

Question 21

JP in early modern era

Answer 21

Started in medieval era but became more important now
Responsibility for law and order in their county

Question 22

JP in early modern era roles

Answer 22

Act as a magistrate in court
Deal with bridge and road repairs
License ale houses (sold alcohol)
Check accuracy of shop measurements
Supervise poor relief
Arrest and interrogate people

Question 23

Petty sessions (early modern)

Answer 23

A local court where a few JPs would hold court sessions to deal with petty crimes like theft

Question 24

Quarter sessions (early modern)

Answer 24

A court the JPs would hold to judge more serious crimes ie murder
4 times per year

Question 25

Assize courts in early modern era

Answer 25

JPs would pass very serious offences such as witchcraft up to the royal court

Question 26

How did the role of the JP change in early modern era?

Answer 26

Increased responsibility and duties
To the point it became a burden as the job was unpaid

Question 27

Who organised the Parish Constable and Town watchmen in early modern era?

Answer 27

The JPs

Question 28

Watchmen in early modern era

Answer 28

All men in a town had to volunteer
Would patrol streets of a large town every night
Not paid

Question 29

How did the role of the town watchman change at the end of early modern era?

Answer 29

Charles II paid for a group of them to patrol out of taxes, marking a shift when the responsibility of law and order fell on powerful figures rather than local community
But mocked for being low paid

Question 30

The Parish Constable in early modern era

Answer 30

Appointed by JP but unpaid so were mostly local farmers = self policing
Did day to day maintenance of the law

Question 31

Roles of Parish Constable

Answer 31

Kept order in ale houses
Keep peace in Parish
Capture stray farm animals
Arrest criminals
Whip vagrants
Prevent trespassing

Question 32

How was self policing still kept in early modern era?

Answer 32

All local people were duty bound to help Parish Constable if requested
Could be randomly selected to be PC
Had to volunteer as Townwatchman
All parishes had to upkeep poor law and oversaw road building

Question 33

How did policing change in industrial era?

Answer 33

Self policing and civic duties weren’t as effective and were strained
So organised police forced began to be set up

Question 34

What in industrial England caused the system of policing to change?

Answer 34

Rapid crime rates increase due to urbanisation and overpopulation
Local experiments found more effective methods
Rising threat of revolution

Question 35

Problems with civic duties in industrial England

Answer 35

JPs = corrupt
Townwatchmen = ineffective and largely mocked
Parish Constable = hated their job

Question 36

Thief takers (industrial England)

Answer 36

People who captured criminals then claim an award for turning them in

Question 37

Problems with thief takers (industrial)

Answer 37

Som were corrupt like Jonathon Wild:
Would steal goods then advertise them in newspapers to find owner for its return for a fee = planted the crime
Negotiated with criminals or even black mailed them
Caused more crime = became organised crime

Question 38

Civic duties

Answer 38

Someone’s responsibility as a citizen in society
Eg to volunteer to be parish constable, JP etc

Question 39

Private police force

Answer 39

The police that tackle crime not government funded and a separate company
Used in early industrial era

Question 40

Bow street runners (industrial)

Answer 40

Set up by brothers Henry and John Fielding and a group of men who would patrol around streets from their base in bow street

Question 41

What did Bow Street runners use to help them? (Industrial)

Answer 41

Newspapers:
Advertised their force
Encouraged public help
Shared info about criminals + encouraged people to report info of them

Question 42

Were the Bow Street runners effective? (Industrial)

Answer 42

Mostly in the area they patrolled as crime did decrease
But in other areas it didn’t because they only worked in a small area

Question 43

Arguments in favour of supporting a formal police force in industrial England

Answer 43

Private forces only effective in their area
Cons tables + JPs overworked = ineffective
Violent crime and theft rising
People didn’t respect civic duties
New life or urbanisation meant police force had to adapt to this
Fear of working class revolution in UK (increase of riots)

Question 44

Arguments against a formal police force in industrial england

Answer 44

Government could abuse police force to remove opposition
Not the government’s responsibility
An invasion of citizens privacy
It wouldn’t be effective, we need deterrence not a police force