Treason Flashcards
Since 1532 what had treason constituted?
Compassing or imagining the king’s death and levying war against the king
In the 1530s what happened?
Two Acts extended treason to denying the Act of Succession, refusing to take the oath of supremacy, and criticising Henry’s marriage
What did the 1534 Act state and do?
That treason could be by words as well as by deeds
Application was extended to cover recent developments
By 1540 what was the case?
Nearly 400 people had been charged with treasonous words and at least 52 had been executed
In 1554 what did Mary do?
Widened the Act to cover any allegations made against her marriage to Phillip or the welfare of the sovereigns
In 1571 how was the Treason Act extended?
Anyone who possessed papal objects, obtained, published or received papal documents, or claimed the queen was a heretic could be indicted for treason
In 1585 what happened?
Jesuits were declared to be traitors even before treason was committed in word or deed
In 1597 what did parliament declare and what did judges rule?
That any group assembled to destroy enclosures was guilty of treason
That conspiring with arms was high treason on the grounds that ‘rebellion is all the war which a subject can make against the king’
What happened to the vast majority of people?
Never came before assize judges or appeared at Quarter Sessions
How were disputes dealt with?
In local courts or in the diocesan courts
Whenever possible what happened?
Arguments were settled out of court
Subjects were bound over to keep the peace
The community acted to see that social harmony was maintained
At the beginning of the Tudor period, what did some people believe?
That it was acceptable to act disorderly in order to achieve justice
What was the case by the end of the period?
Fear of popular disorder was very real
The overall feeling was that the proper way to proceed was to use the judicial system and act lawfully
