Merthyr Flashcards
2 categories of crime : poverty and connected to the iron works
Crimes caused by poverty:
- Theft of clothing,food,coal or streaming from a person
-Associated with the large number of vagrants in merthyr in the 1840s/50s
Crimes connected to the iron works:
- Theft of common property (stealing coal)
- 1848-1854 over 100 people were charged with stealing coal
- destruction of company property, i’ll discipline , illegal strikes
2 categories of crime: Associated with leisure time and sexual nature
Crimes associated with leisure time:
- Drunkenness and disorderly behaviour
- Violent behaviour and common assault
Crimes if a sexual nature
- Prostitutes gamblers conmen and theives
- poorest areas prostitutes were notorious for stealing from their clients including watches boots and money
China ‘celestial empire’ (8)
•Became a hiding place for criminals
• 1839-40 aprox. 60 prostitutes who were instructed to steal from clients
• 1840s the glamorgan constabulary was established which led to a crackdown and efforts to clean up china
•1834 Anne hartman was accused of being unfaithful to her husband so they used ceffyl pren which was a method of self policing
•Known as den of: Drunkards, Theives, Rougues, Prostitutes
•Slum area nicknamed little hell
• Dominated by the most powerful criminals - the emperor and empress
Living conditions in merthyr Tydfil C19th : Population Growth
- Demand for workers in ironworks, coal mines and iron quarries led to rapid population growth
- 1750 pop. 400
- 1861 pop. 52,000
Living conditions merthyr tidfil C19th: Housing
•Rapid development of ironworks meant houses were built crammed together
• No planning or attempts to regulate expansion resulting in overcrowding poor sanitation and a lack of clean water
• Skilled workers could afford better housing but i skilled workers lived in poor quality housing around courtyards or even cellar dwellings which were dark damp and had no toilets
Living conditions Merthyr Tidfil C19th: Public health
• 1894 Merthyr had highest mortality rate in wales
•Life expectancy of industrial worker was 22 years - life expectancy of ironmasters family 50 years
• 3/4 of all deaths in merthyr were children under the age of five
• due to overcrowding, damp, dirty housing no sewage system leading to contaminated water
• outbreaks of disease included tuberculosis smallpox typhoid measles and cholera.
Living conditions Merthyr tidfil C19th: Poverty caused by truck system
•Wages were dependent on sale of iron so when price of iron decreased wages were decreased
• Resulted in poverty for working class families and they were only paid once a month which led to debt
• Some ironmasters paid out wages in special token called truck
• Tokens could only be exchanged for goods in shops owned by the iron companies where prices were higher than ordinary shops.
• Court of requests had power to collect debts by bailiffs confiscating goods which was one of the triggers of the merthyr rising
As a result
• parliament made the truck system illegal and wages had to be paid in official coinage
Changes in policing in Merthyr : C16-18
• Law and order was a civic responsibility with a hierarchy of Lord Lieutenant ,to the Sherif , to JPs, to parish constables
• This system worked when Merthyr was a hamlet, but rapid growth in the early C19th overwhelmed the old system and areas like China and Pontshorehouse had fallen outside the rule of law and were being controlled by villains
Changes in policing in Merthyr: Early C19th
• series of disturbances and riots broke out
• In 1800 a riot was caused by high food prices
• In 1816 a depression in the iron industry led to high food prices and wage cuts leading to another riot
• In 1831 the merthyr rising broke out to rising unemployment, wage cuts and a depression in the iron industry
The authorities had to call on the local militia to help restore law and order
Changes in policing in Merthyr: Experiments in early policing
•Authorities sent a request to the Metropolitan police during the merthyr rising(1831) for help in restoring law and order
• Thomas Jamieson was then appointed Cheif Police Officer of Merthyr and paid a wage of £80
• This signalled a shift on attitude with some recognition of the value of a professional police force- a short lived experiment
Changes in Policing in Merthyr: Establishment of the Glamorgan County Constabulary
Merthyr rising had increased concerns abt the protection of property and led to the release of funds to establish a police force in the area
The glamorgan county constabulary was established in 1841 with a total force of 34
How was policing effective in Merthyr after 1841
Overall crime levels were reduced due to
- Population decline as the iron industry declined (people left merthyr seeking jobs in the steelworks or coal mines)
-Organisations promoted alternative leisure activities as a distraction from crime including chapel,fetes,sports
- The establishment of an organised police force in the area
By 1850s patrols covered the whole town
How was the effectiveness of policing in Merthyr limited after 1841
• Initially patrols didn’t include lawless areas like China and Pontstorehouse
• 13 men to maintain law and order in a population of 46,000
• Found it difficult to retain good constables as they could earn higher wages in the ironworks
• Problem recruiting a sufficient number of suitable men they were required to:
- be a man of honesty
- Sobriety
- Knowledge of welsh language
- Ability to read and write and keep accounts
