Policing 1700-1900 Flashcards
Metropolitan Police Act 1829
Sir Robert Peel’s legislation that established the first organised police force in London in 1829
Bow Street Runners
A police organisation created in 1748 by magistrates Henry Fielding and his brother Sir John Fielding, whose members went on patrol, rather than sitting at a designated post.
Highway robberies
Robberies that occur on the highway (roads). Extremely common during the Industrial Revolution as people and goods were able to travel more.
What did Elizabeth Fry do to help the prison system
The pressure for reform of prisons continued through Elizabeth Fry in the early 19th century. She was a Quaker, and was outraged at conditions for female prisoners in London’s Newgate Prison.
She saw hundreds of women imprisoned together in wards. Convicted criminals were mixed with those still awaiting trial. Prisoners were sleeping on cold floors with no blankets or bedding.
Fry visited Newgate Prison regularly. She provided clothes and bedding and began to teach inmates skills such as knitting. She set up a chapel and a school in the prison.
In 1817, along with other Quakers, she founded the ‘Association for the Reformation of the Female Prisoners in Newgate’. Fry also gave evidence to a House of Commons committee on prison conditions. Although this did not have immediate consequences, many of her ideas influenced the 1823 Gaols Act.
What did John Howard do to help the prison system
In 1777, John Howard published a report on prison conditions. His main observations were:
prisoners were not separated by gender or type of crime
many prisoners were dying of illness and disease
gaolers/jailers were often corrupt
too few people were employed to make the prisons secure and safe
many prisoners stayed in prison beyond the end of their sentence as they could not afford the jailers’ fees to be released
To compile his report, Howard had visited many prisons across the country. These included Caernarfon and Swansea Gaol. He said Caernarfon had neither drainage or fresh water and commented that the inmates were housed in tiny windowless cells.
Howard believed that if prisoners were made to work, and spend time silently reflecting on their crimes, they could be reformed. He recommended changes to prisons that included:
running water clean and hygienic conditions access to medical treatment improved standard of food payment of gaolers visits from churchmen
Peel and Policing
• Peel wanted punishments to reform rather than to deter. He reformed the penal code by reducing the number of crimes punishable by death by 100.
• He also reformed prisons – he was sympathetic with prison reformers.
• He also brought in a more logical and organised system of punishment, in which the same crime was always punished the same way.
Peel persuaded parliament to pass the 1823 Gaols Act. This said that:
• Prisoners should receive regular visits from prison chaplains
• Gaolers should be paid (so they would not need to make money from prisoners)
• Female prisoners should be watched over by female warders
• Prisoners were not to be held in chains or irons
The measures brought some improvement but had limited effect, as there were no paid inspectors to ensure the new laws were put into practice.
What is Smuggling
When import tax was introduced on certain goods such as Tea and Brandy smuggling increased dramatically, Smuggling is where people bring goods into the country and sell it on to avoid import tax It was usually organised by gangs who were funded by investors or ventures. They chose secluded parts of the coastline to land cargos from ships. There were many suitable areas along the south coast of England and west Wales, including small coves and river estuaries. In 1784 the Prime Minister, William Pitt the Younger, suggested that of the 13 million pounds (weight) of tea consumed in Britain, only 5.5 million had been brought in legally. Like poaching it was a social crime, thus many people didn’t view it as serious or a threat, making it difficult to enforce. Smugglers were often executed as a deterrent to others. However, as so few were caught it did not stop the problem of smuggling. When the Government reduced tax on tea and other goods in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, smuggling declined as it was no longer so profitable.
What was the effect of Highway Robbery
This type of crime was a huge threat to the authorities as it was a cause of disruption to trade.
Demobilised soldiers were returning from foreign wars and being jobless in many cases resorted to highway robbery to steal goods for resale.
Horses and weapons had become much cheaper to obtain and increasing numbers of businessmen were travelling around the country
What was the impact of Toll Roads
The creation of toll roads, better roads which you paid to travel on, had the effect of making travel much easier.
Businessmen travelling around to complete transactions also carried large amounts of cash and expensive items making them an easy target.
The Black Act made hunting deer, hare, or rabbits a capital crime. In which year was this passed?
1723
Which two things became cheaper, enabling highway robbery in Industrial Britain?
Horses
Weapons
In which country was there a revolution in the 18th century which caused the British government to be extra vigilant and looking for signs of conspiracy?
France
Two aims of the Tolpuddle Martyrs
Improve wages
Improve working conditions
What sentence did the Tolpuddle martyrs receive for their crimes?
7 years transportation
Who were the Tolpuddle Martyrs
A group of farmworkers formed a friendly society, to protest about their low wages compared to other farmworkers’ wages. The farm owners and government feared losing control of their workers. The six men were arrested for taking secret oaths - an old law intended to stop Naval Mutinies. The six were found guilty at their trial, they all received the maximum sentence of seven years transportation to Australia in an attempt to deter others from forming trade unions.
