Punishments Flashcards
What were the two different categories of trial in the medieval period?
Trial by jury or ordeal
What was the jury in trial by jury made up of?
Men from the village decided based on the character of the accused
Describe trial by blessed bread?
-usually for priests
-bread was blessed so that it would choke the accused if they were guilty
-if he choked on the bread, he was guilty
What was trial by cold water?
-the accused was lowered into a pond/river on a rope
-if they floated they were guilty
What was trial by hot iron?
-accused picked up red hot weight
-hand was bandaged
-if it was infected after 3 days, they were guilty
What was trial by hot water?
-the accused put their hand into boiling water
-hand bandages
-if infected after 3 days then they were guilty
What was trial by combat?
-involved men in dispute fighting each other till one was killed/could no longer fight
-if you lost but lived, you were guilty and were hung
What are the 5 different types of punishment?
-Corporal (inflicting pain/mutilation)
-capital (execution)
-humiliation
-exclusion (from society)
-compensatory (paying money to compensate the victim or state)
What are the 5 different purposes of crime?
-deterrence
-reform
-maintinence of law and order
-protection (of society)
-retribution (criminals deserve punishment)
What punishments existed in the medieval period?
-fines
-whipping
-stocks and pillory
-mutilation
-execution
-imprisonment
Describe fines in the Saxons vs Norman?
-Wergild = saxon fines that go to the victim
-Norman = fines paid to crown
What were the Medieval stocks/pillory?
Public stocks or a cucking stool
What was multilation in the medieval period for?
Eg cutting limbs off for regular offenders of crimes like theft
Describe medieval imprisonment
-there were very few gaols so it was only used for those awaiting trials
-rich could choose to be locked in a castle
When was the vagabonds act?
1572
What did the vagabonds act say?
Whipping, burning a hole in the ear with a hot iron or being branded with a V were all punishments given to vagabonds
What crimes were punishable by the stocks in the early modern to industrial periods?
-drunkenness
-profaners
-gamblers
-vagrants
-failure to pay tax on time
What crimes were punishable by the pillory in the early modern-industrial periods?
-dishonest traders
-persistent swearing
-cheating at cards
-sex crimes (especially involving children)
-
What crimes were punishable by execution in early modern - industrial periods?
-murder
-treason
-arson
-stealing over one shillings worth
What was Tyburn?
The Tyburn Tree was a triangular gallows in London designed to hang multiple people at once
How many people were executed at Tyburn?
1,232
What percentage of executions at Tyburn were of men under 21?
90%
How many people attended the execution of Jack Shepard at Tyburn?
200,000
Why did Britain chose to implement transportation?
-it was a middle ground punishment = more extreme than whipping but less extreme than excecution
-it would help Britain populate its colonies
-imprisonment was expensive