🏛️🧑🏻⚖️Medieval Crime and Punishment🧑🏻⚖️🏛️ Flashcards
List some common medieval crimes
theft
assault
list some medieval crimes against the person
murder
witchcraft
assault
raoe
list some medieval crimes against property
theft
arson
poaching
list some medieval crimes against authority
public disorder
treason
rebellion
heresy
what was an early example of law against poaching?
william Is forest laws
what percentage of land did William I make royal forest?
30%
what were royal forests used for?
for nobles to hunt
what did the forest laws do to existing poaching laws?
made them harsher
what was the punishment for breaking forest laws?
removal of two fingers
how were forest laws perceived by the public?
they were a social crime
what is a social crime?
a crime that is perceived as socially acceptable
how did william I treat rebellion?
very harshly
what was the punishment for rebelling under William I
those involved in rebellion were killed, as well as those not even in the rebellion
give one example of William I punishing rebellion
harrying of the north
what would happen if a saxon killed a norman and no criminal was found?
the closest village would be hit with a murdrum fine - an extremely heavy fine
what was a tithing
a group ten boys age 12+ who were made responsible for each others behaviour
what would happen if a person in a tithing commited a crime and it wasn’t reported?
the whole tithing would be fined
what is the hue and cry?
an alarm raised, which tells the entire village to stop what they are doing and chase a criminal
what happens if a villager does not respond to the hue and cry?
the entire village will be fined
did the hue and cry work in small villages?
yes
did the hue and cry work in large towns
no
was there a police force in medieval england?
no
when was trial by jury introduced?
in the anglo saxon period
in the medieval period, what was the name of the oath sworn by the jury
an oath of compugation
in the medieval period, where were the jury selected from?
people from the accused village - they had to know the accused
what is trial by ordeal
trials done by the church, which included getting judgement from god
list the different types of trial by ordeal
trial by :
hot water
cold water
blessed bread
hot iron
did the normans keep the hue and cry?
yes - it was effective
did the normans keep tithings?
yes - it was effective
did the normans keep trial by jury?
yes - it was effective at using communities
did the normans keep trial by ordeal?
yes - they were very religious
what new trial by ordeal did the normans add?
trial by combat
what did edward I introduce for law enforcement?
parish constables
what did edward I introduce for law enforcement?
parish constables
what is a parish constable?
they led further searches if the hue and cry failed
what was the medieval name for fines?
wergild
what was the wergild?
a system of compensation paid to the victim based on a set of rules
how much did you have to pay to kill a nobleman under wergild?
300 shillings
how much did you have to pay to kill a welshman under wergild?
nothing
what could you be put in stocks for?
drunked behavoir
what is corporal punishment?
hurting someone as punishment (e.g whipping)
what is capital punishment?
death as a punishment
list punishments used in the meadival period
wergild
stocks
corporal
capital
what happened to corporal punishments under the normans?
its use increased
what hapened to capital punishments under the normans
its use increeased
what happened to wergild under the normans
it was paid directly to the king
