Medieval England 1000-1500

Question 1

By 1000 AD, what was Anglo-Saxon England made up of?

Answer 1

Farming communities that shared the responsibility for maintaining law and order.

Question 2

What were most of the crimes?

Answer 2

Crime against property, e.g. theft

Question 3

Poaching

Answer 3

Example of social crime, hunting illegally.

Question 4

Why was poaching considered acceptable in this period?

Answer 4

Many people lived together collectively farming land so the population turned a blind eye to poaching, way to survive.

Question 5

Crime against neighbours

Answer 5

Insulting friend/neighbour, or something as serious as murder.

Question 6

What happened in 1066?

Answer 6

The Normans invaded England and William Duke of Normandy became the new King of England.

Question 7

Changes under the Normans

Answer 7

• building of castles, to protect themselves and exert their authority over the area
• introduced a new language to the country

Question 8

Forest laws

Answer 8

All forest land belonged to the King and therefore trees could no longer be cut down for fuel.

Question 9

Reaction to forest laws

Answer 9

• those living in the forest weren’t allowed to own dogs or use bows and arrows
• many normal people ignored these laws, happy to break it in order to survive

Question 10

What were the methods of policing?

Answer 10

• tithings
• hue and cry
• local constables

Question 11

Tithings

Answer 11

• every man 12+ had to join a tithing
• group of 10 men responsible for each other’s behaviour
• if someone broke the law, other members would bring him to court or pay the fines

Question 12

Hue and cry

Answer 12

• entire village would stop their current work and chase after the criminal
• whole village would pay a fine if anyone chose not to participate
• if failed, Sheriff would get a posse of men to continue searching

Question 13

Trial by jury

Answer 13

• members of local community, mainly men who knew accused and accuser
• accused and accuser would tell their side, jury would decide who’s telling the truth
• no evidence -> jury would decide based off their knowledge of the two parties

Question 14

Compurgation

Answer 14

When the jury felt that the accuser was more honest than the accused they would take an oath called Compurgation.

Question 15

Constables

Answer 15

• well respected men, usually a local landowner or tradesman
• take role for one year
• main responsibility was to keep the peace
• need to keep an eye out for crime and lead hue and cry if necessary

Question 16

What was the main principle behind punishments?

Answer 16

Deterrence and retribution

Question 17

Retribution

Answer 17

Idea that a person should ‘pay’ for what they have done.

Question 18

Corporal punishment

Answer 18

• to the body, could result in a period of time in the stocks and pillory
• public, to humiliate offenders and deter others from committing crimes

Question 19

Reoffenders

Answer 19

• mutilation to parts of their body e.g. cutting off a hand, ear or nose, or even ‘putting-out’ the eyes
• to deter others from further crimes

Question 20

Fines

Answer 20

• AKA Wergild

- offender paid the victim of the crime, mainly used in crimes against person/property

Question 21

Capital punishment

Answer 21

• death penalty/ execution was reserved for serious crimes e.g. treason

Question 22

Treason

Answer 22

• going against the King or betray your Lord

- severe punishment to show others how important it is to be loyal to those in authority

Question 23

Prison

Answer 23

• not widely used

- used when waiting to be executed or held in debtors prison due to owing money

Question 24

Why was Wergild removed?

Answer 24

Fines were paid to the King and his officials instead

Question 25

Reaction to Norman changes

Answer 25

• due to invasion, there was a lot of distrust and anger

- some Saxons killed Norman soldiers

Question 26

Murdrum fine

Answer 26

If a Norman was killed, everyone in the area would pay a fine to the king

Question 27

Trial by combat

Answer 27

• accused had to fight the accuser until one was killed or unable to fight
• loser was hanged as God considered him guilty

Question 28

Role of the church

Answer 28

• Saxons were very religious, if local jury couldn’t make a decision they would let God decide using Trial by Ordeal
• all trials took place in church, except Cold Water
• ended in 1215

Question 29

Trial by hot iron

Answer 29

• usually taken by a woman
• carried a red-hot piece of metal for 3 paces
• bandaged for 3 days
• healing -> innocent
• not healing -> guilty

Question 30

Trial by hot water

Answer 30

• usually taken by men
• dunk hand in boiling water to retrieve an object
• hand and arm bandaged for 3 days
• healing -> innocent
• wounds were festering -> guilty

Question 31

Trial by blessed bread

Answer 31

• by priests accused of a crime

- priest that was present would pray that the accused would choke on bread if they lied

Question 32

Trial by cold water

Answer 32

• usually taken by men
• put into pool of water/river with rope tied around waist
• if they sank in Gods pure water -> innocent
• floated, rejected by pure water -> guilty

Question 33

Sanctuary

Answer 33

• if you commuted a crime you could claim sanctuary
• church would protect you
• no one able to remove you from church, not even County Sheriff
• criminal had 40 days to decide to face trial or leave country
• leave the country -> travel to the nearest port barefoot, carrying a wooden cross and get onboard the first ship heading abroad.

Question 34

Church courts

Answer 34

• never sentence anyone t death regardless of how serious the crime was
• Moral offences such as failure to attend church, adultery and drunkenness