Type/ Nature of Crime Flashcards
Main type of crime in Medieval era
Theft
(Due to huge poverty)
4 main types of crime in Medieval era
Theft
Murder
Receiving stolen goods
Arson/ treason/ other
Following the Norman Conquest from 1066 in the Medieval Era, what was the definition of a criminal
Someone who had disturbed the King’s Peace
E.g treason, revolt, blasphemy, heresy, sheltering criminals
Under the Norman laws towards the end of the Medieval Era (from 1066) what key offences were highlighted
(They involved ‘disturbing the king’s peace’)
Treason, revolt, sheltering criminals, heresy, blasphemy
(Any against authority (the crown/ church))
What is blasphemy
Arguing with or insulting the religion
6 crimes specific to the Medieval era
Hunting (Forest Laws- trees can’t be cut down for certain things, deer can’t be hunted)
Scolding
Vagrancy (more common after Black Death in 1340s)
Treason
Outlaw gangs
Heresy
Several serious rebellions against authority e,g peasants revolt 1381
3 main types of crime in 16th/ 17th century
Vagrancy
Heresy
Treason
Why vagrancy was a main type of crime in 16th/ 17th century
Increase in poverty meant more people wandering from place to place without a home or job.
E.g Angler, Abraham Man, Doxy
Why heresy was a main type of crime in the 16th/17th century
Reformation if the church in 1533 led to the official religion continuously being switched causing religious disputes.
Therefore it was considered heresy (a crime) if anyone didn’t follow the official religion, especially under the reign of Mary 1 who burned 300 people at the stake
Why was treason a main type of crime in the 16th and 17th century
Henry V111 issued a Treason Law in 1534:
Anyone who displayed support for the Pope/ wrote things against the King, his wife or heirs/ said the beliefs of the King went against the teachings of the church/ said the King was using his power unjustly/ kept silent when questioned on what rights the King had=
Found guilty of treason
When was the Treason Law issued and who by
1534
Henry V111
(Made lots of things treasonable)
3 Main types of crime in 18th/ 19th century
Highway Robbery
Smuggling
Crimes specific to Industrial Revolution e.g Luddism (machine breaking), swing riots (agricultural labourers set fire to hayricks and smashed machines)
What is smuggling
Crime of secretly importing or exporting goods in order to avoid paying customs duties
Key reason for increase of smuggling in 18th and 19th century
High demand (due to smuggled goods being cheaper)
Employment (still high levels of poverty so it gave people a chance to earn some money)
Insufficient policing (was relatively easy to do)
Smuggling in the 18th/ 19th century was dominated by large gangs who operated along the south coast of England. How many individuals did each gang employ
50-100