‘New’ Crimes in Early Modern England Flashcards
what were the new crimes in early modern england?
-vagabondage/vagrancy
-organised crime (smuggling, highway robbery) -> still existed before but now more significant due to increase in import taxes & pop)
-witchcraft
when was the Vagrancy Act?
1547
what was the Vagrancy Act?
1547 - the able-bodied without work for more than 3 days were branded with a ‘V’ and sold as a slave for 2 years
when was the Act for the Relief of the Poor
1597
what was the Act for the Relief of the Poor
split vagrants into 2 categories:
-deserving (elders & disabled)
-underserving (those fit for work)
when were the Poor Laws?
1601
what were the Poor Laws?
-the ‘deserving’ poor were given poor relief by local parish
-the ‘undeserving’ poor could be branded, whipped or sent to a correction house
what specific examples of import tax were introduced in the 17th century?
brandy & tea
what was smuggling (organised crime)?
-people bringing goods into a country secretly to avoid paying import tax & selling it.
-social crime: upper class like buying goods from smugglers & lower class like being smugglers (money)
why did highway robbery (organised crime) increase in the 18th century?
-improved roads = more people travelling
-increased trade between towns = more goods + money transported by road
-many roads isolated = easier to get away with highway robber
when did Henry VIII make witchcraft punishable by death?
1542
why did witchcraft accusations increase in Early Modern England?
-Economic Problems
-Social Changes
-Lack of Authority
-Religious Change
-Influence of Individuals
explain how economic problems increased the accusations of witch craft?
-civil war & poor harvests caused huge economic problems
-people looked for scapegoats
explain how social changes increased the accusation of witchcraft in Early Modern England?
-war left many women widowed
-more ‘strangers’ around as people travelled with the armies or searched for work
explain how lack of authority increased accusations of witchcraft?
-civil war weakened control of local authorised
-in some areas law and order collapsed completely
explain how religious change increased the accusations of witchcraft?
-religious differences increased by civil war
-many puritans believed that witchcraft was being used by the royalist, some of whom were catholic
explain how the influence of individuals increased the accusations of witchcraft?
-since 1603, James I had promoted witch-hunting
-people like Matthew Hopkins stirred up fear of witches through writings
what was the evidence of witchcraft?
-unusual marks on body
-witness accounts
-when pricked w needle, don’t bleed
-when thrown in water, float
-confessions from accused
-having pets (familiars)
when did James I write ‘demonologie’
1597
how many people were executed for witchcraft between 16th-17th century?
up to 1,000
what was the influence of James I book ‘demonologie’
-encouraged witch-hunting
-due to invention of printing press (1440) - information spread more quickly
who was Matthew Hopkins?
-employed by Justice of Peace to find witches in Essex & East Anglia
-received money for each witch prosecuted
-used torture to extract confessions
how many people did Matthew Hopkins have investigated for witchcraft?
300
when was the intensity of witch-hunts?
1645-47
when was the printing press invented?
1440
