Nature of crimes Flashcards
What changed about crime in medieval England?
New Norman laws: for ‘disturbing the king’s peace’
So offences like treason, heresy and blasphemy
Forest laws in medieval England
William the Conquerer said:
You can’t cut down trees to burn for fuel
Can’t hunt deer
Scolding in medieval England
Swearing in public
Vagrancy in medieval England
People wondering around with no homes
Treason in medieval England
Not only defying the king, but ‘authority’ in itself
Like wife killing husband
Outlaw gangs in medieval England
Types of gangs that would ambush travellers and hide in abandoned villages due to diseases
Heresy in medieval England
Spreading false Christian beliefs
Like Lollards challenging Catholic Church
Vagrancy in early modern era
As a result of many economic problems many were left homeless
Many laws were passed that criminalised beggars causing an increase= more actions considered crime
Hersey in early modern era
As a result of changing religious settlements, the country fluctuated between Catholicism and Protestantism
Some monarchs were more ruthless than others so at points a wider range of acts were considered hersey
Treason in early modern era under Henry VIII
Couldn’t write against him, his wife or heirs
Couldn’t have beliefs the king didn’t have
Couldn’t say king was misusing power
Couldn’t stay silent when questioned on authority of king
Unique crimes if industrial England
Smuggling
Highway robbery
Pickpocketing
Smuggling in industrial England
Secretly importing or exporting goods to avoid paying customs duties
But also to smuggle illegal goods
Why was smuggling a big crime in industrial England?
People didn’t see it as a crime and many saw it as justifiable
Allowed exporters like farmers to make much more money
Insufficient patrolmen meant it was easy
Organisation of smuggling: the venturer
Wealthy individual(s) who paid for the operation and made money from profits
Organisation of smuggling: the spotsman
Expert who knew where to take ships and avoid capture
Organisation of smuggling: the lander
Organised small boats to take goods to the shore from the large boat
Organisation of smuggling: tubmen
Did the physical work of carrying the goods
Organisation of smuggling: batsmen
Protected the tubsmen from officials