HISTORY GCSE OCR 9-1

J411/14 Crime and Punishment, c.1250 to present with The Norman Conquest, 1065–1087

Spec B

Revision guide

1 J411/14 Crime and Punishment, c.1250 to present with The Norman Conquest, 1065–1087 Sample Question Paper Time allowed: 1 hour 45 minutes

Section A

Crime and Punishment, c.1250 to present

Answer questions 1 (a–c), 2 and 3.

1. (a) Name one type of official who was responsible for enforcing law and order in the Middle Ages. [1]

(b) Name one type of crime that the authorities were particularly worried about in the period 1500– 1750. [1]

(c) Give one example of a technological change which affected policing in the period after 1900. [1] Tip: Do this question quickly – it is only worth 3 marks

2. Write a clear and organised summary that analyses how law and order was enforced in the period 1500–1750. Support your summary with examples. [9]

Tip: try to develop three separate points with examples. Explain why it was 3. What causedlike the it was. increase in crime in the first half of the nineteenth century? Explain your answer. [10] Tip: try to develop at least three points and explain how they answer the question.

Answer either question 4 or question 5.

4.* How far do you agree that the most important changes in the punishment of offenders took place in the twentieth century? Give reasons for your answer. [18]

5.* ‘In the period between 1750 and 1900 there were big changes in policing’. How far do you agree with this statement? Give reasons for your answer. [18]

Tip: look at evidence that supports the statement AND evidence against. Try to develop three points for each side of the argument. Give clear reasoning for your judgement in your conclusion.

2 Tip: make your point Section B and use quotes from the extract that support your answer. The Norman Conquest, 1065–1087

Answer questions 6 (a–b) and 7. 6. (a) In Interpretation A the historian Robert Bartlett argues that the ‘Harrying of the North’ had a powerful impact on northern England. Identify and explain one way in which he does this. [3]

Interpretation A – An extract from the script of The Normans, a BBC television series, 2010. In 1069, William marched on York and crushed the rebellion. The Normans devastated the North of England. They sacked every village and farmstead as they went. Then William divided his troops into smaller bands who destroyed any crops and livestock they could find … A huge area across northern and central England was laid waste by this ‘scorched earth’ on the northern rebels. Plotting the settlements destroyed by the Normans shows the scar that was carved across the country by William’s army. Sixteen years later, these areas were still desolate wasteland.

(b) If you were asked to do further research on one aspect of Interpretation A, what would you choose to investigate? Explain how this would help us to analyse and understand the Harrying of the North. [5] Tip: develop your point by saying what evidence you would use and how this would help you answer the question. 7. Interpretations B and C are both illustrations of Norman motte–and–bailey castles. How far do they differ and what might explain any differences? [12]

Tip: use details from each source to show differences. Think about the focus of the sources and their audience as reasons why they differ.

Interpretation B – An illustration of the Norman castle at Pickering in Yorkshire by the reconstruction artist Simon Hayfield. The illustration is in the book Picturing the Past. The book was published in 1997 and was aimed at adults.

3 Interpretation C – An illustration of a typical Norman castle in Living in the Past: The Middle Ages a history textbook written for primary school children in 1983.

Answer either question 8 or question 9.

8.* In an article for the BBC History Magazine in 2012, the historian Ryan Lavelle argued that late Anglo–Saxon England was “by no means a ‘golden age’’’. How far do you agree with this view? [20]

9.* According to a children’s history website, www.MedievalEurope.MrDonn.org, following his victory at Hastings, William ‘soon had conquered all of England’. How far do you agree with this view? [20]

Tip: look at both sides of the argument. Try to develop at least three points for each side of the argument. Come to a reasoned judgement.

4 GENERAL POINTS:

Crime is often categorised into:

 Crime against the person eg. murder, rape, assault.  Crime against property eg. theft, vandalism.  Crime against authority eg. riot, rebellion. Some crimes may be a combination of more than one of the above eg. mugging. The exact nature of crime has changed through time and reflects the attitudes and values of people in different periods of our past.

Punishment can also be categorised:

 Capital punishment ie. the use of the death penalty.  Corporal punishment ie. the use of physical pain.  Humiliation eg. stocks.  Loss of rights and money eg. prison, fines.

The types of punishments used have changed through time. Some crimes attract harsh punishment because society or the government sees them as more serious or dangerous. What is considered serious/dangerous has changed through time.

The reasons behind punishing people have also changed. Motives may include repaying your debt to society or even rehabilitation (ie. being re-educated in order to return to a useful role in society). Thus, punishment may well include other aims.

KEY POINT:

Crime involves breaking the law. In the past, laws were decided by rulers and powerful people only using Parliament. They were a way of controlling their territory and preventing unrest and rebellion. As the needs of rulers changed so have laws. Before the twentieth century the main way the ordinary people could change the law was to protest, riot or rebel. In the twentieth century all adults have been given the vote and what is considered a crime has changed. We are now concerned about what is good for society as a whole rather than using the law to protect the interests of a small number of very powerful people.

5 CORE 1: MEDIAEVAL PERIOD AD1250-1500

Key features of the Mediaeval Period

There were two main trends: 1. The power and role of the king was increased. This can be shown by the new laws that were introduced: - Killing a Norman was made a crime. The Normans had conquered England by force and the English did not like them. - The Norman Forest Laws: William I declared that 30% of England would be protected by forest laws which meant it was illegal to kill wild animals in these areas. Forest officials were used to police these areas. Forest taxes were used by the King to get extra money. Punishments were harsh. The laws were an extension of the King’s power. He loved deer hunting and was using his position for his own interests. Many forests were in areas where rebellions had taken place. William wanted to show the English he was in charge. In general the Normans upheld existing Anglo-Saxon laws.

2. The importance of religion and the Church grew. The Church became more involved in moral crimes eg adultery, sex before marriage, failure to observe religious rituals. Church courts were used to deal with cases involving priests.

CRIME AND CRIMINALS IN THE MEDIAEVAL PERIOD Most crime was petty (minor crime) and lots of crime went unrecorded. Yet, Mediaeval England was not lawless. It was difficult to get away with crime because everyone knew each other in each village.  Stealing animals was a common crime and it was taken seriously.  Moral crimes, those against the ideas of the Church, caused concern. These included sex outside marriage; adultery; not attending church.  Some crimes reflected attitudes to women eg nagging your husband was a crime.  Vagabondage (begging) was seen as a crime and caused concern especially during the Black Death.  More serious crimes were those against the power of the monarch eg breaking the Forest Laws; rebellion and treason.

LAW ENFORCEMENT IN MEDIAEVAL ENGLAND

The system of law enforcement and courts was developed by Henry II, building on that established under the Anglo- Saxons and Normans.

Why did Henry II make changes to the system of law enforcement?  There was a civil war (“The Anarchy”) between King Stephen and the Empress Matilda which had reduced the influence of the king.  Some nobles had become too powerful.  When Henry II became king he wanted to restore the authority of the King.

What changes did he make? He updated and drew together Anglo-Saxon, Norman and Royal laws into the Constitutions of Clarendon. This became the basis of common law. This was the first time England had a unified system of laws, the same throughout the country. 6

Henry II also changed the system of law enforcement:  Greater use of juries to decide cases. Grand juries to report breaches of the law; petty juries to decide on innocent/guilty. This expanded a system already in place.  Use of writs (royal instructions to sheriffs)  The court of the King’s bench set up to deal with most serious cases.  Use of eyres (circuits) whereby judges travelled around a part of the country to try cases.  Use of county gaols to hold prisoners waiting to be tried.  Henry attempted to reduce the power of the Church courts but failed. In fact the influence of the Church grew because it provided people who could read and write and therefore were needed in court cases.

What changes were made after Henry II? 1. Use of Coroners to deal with suspicious deaths 2. Use of trial by jury became the normal method of trying cases. 3. JPs (Justices of the Peace) used as magistrates to deal with less serious cases. 4. Under Edward I Men had a duty to form a Posse Comitatus, force of the county to help catch criminals. If was an extension of the tythings practice. Thus, by the end of the Middle Ages law enforcement had improved greatly. Trend = appointment of officials to enforce the law rather than leave it all in the hands of the local community.

BUT 1. There was still no police force. Normans used the idea of the mund, an area around your home where peace and order must exist. 2. System of courts used was similar to the Anglo-Saxon system. Shire courts and sheriffs were used. Shire courts were known as County courts and dealt with serious crimes. Manor courts dealt with local less serious cases. Towns were given the right to have their own courts called borough courts. 3. The system still relied on the local community to enforce the law: the system of tythings (groups of 10 men responsible for keeping each other in order), hue and cry continued. 4. Trial by ordeal was replaced by trial by combat (fighting). Warfare was an important aspect of Norman life. God would favour the innocent and they would win the fight. Invalids could be represented by an appointed “champion”.

PUNISHMENT IN THE MEDIAEVAL PERIOD “Punishment was harsh in the Mediaeval Period”. Evidence for:  Increase in use of death penalty (deterrent)  Use of harsh punishments for attacking rights of the King (Forest Laws)  Increase in mutilation  Decrease in use of fines/compensation (wergild and botgild decline) Evidence against:  For minor crimes punishments remained the same as Anglo-Saxon Period: fines, stocks, whipping in public. Humiliation was used.  The increased role of the Church. The Church believed that people could be reformed and should be given another chance. The Church courts did not use the death penalty.  The benefit of the clergy: anyone who could read a verse from the Bible could ask to be tried in a Church court. Some people learnt verses by heart so that they could exercise this right and avoid the death penalty.

7  The right of sanctuary could be claimed by going to a church where you could not be arrested. If you confessed your crimes you were allowed to go into exile abroad. OVERALL: government influence usually made it harsher; church influence more lenient.

CHECK YOUR REVISION

NORMAN PERIOD (EARLY MEDIEAVAL)

1. Give an example of a crime that shows the increased power of the king. ……………….

2. State TWO crimes that were classed as moral crimes.

3. What sort of crimes were dealt with by each of the following courts:

a) Court of the King’s Bench b) Church courts c) County Courts d) Manor courts

4. What job was carried out by the following law enforcement officials? a) Coroner b) Sheriff c) J.P.s

5. Give TWO ways in which the local community were expected to help law enforcement:

Method 1: ………………………………………………………….. Method 2: …………………………………………………………..

6. How did Trial by Ordeal change? ………………………………………………….

7. Write a paragraph to explain whether or not you agree that punishment was harsh in the Mediaeval Period.

……………………………………………………………………………………………………… ……………………………………………………………………………………………………….. …………………………………………………………………………………………………………. ………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

Challenge questions:

8. Write a summary that analyses the ways in which law enforcement was organised in the Mediaeval Period (9)

8 CORE 2: EARLY MODERN BRITAIN c1500-1750

TYPES OF CRIME IN THE LATE MIDDLE AGES:

Most were minor eg. letting animals stray of other people’s land or theft. Violent crime was small (less than 20% of all serious crime). There was, however, a lot of unrecorded crime. Because there was little movement of people from their own village, it was difficult to go unnoticed when committing crime.

Causes: poverty esp. during bad harvests, alcohol, greed, it was thought you could get away with crime.

Punishment: local communities were expected to deal with their own policing through:  the use of local constables (part-time unpaid),  watchmen (who looked out for crime)  and hue and cry (if you saw a crime you shouted and everyone in the village had a duty to come to your aid). Those that did not come to your aid were fined. The hue and cry method did not work if the criminal could run fast! There was a system of Royal courts (for serious crimes), manor courts (where the landowner acted as Justices of the Peace -JP- a judge over crimes in his village) and church courts (for churchmen and priests). Sheriffs were used to investigate crimes. If you could read a verse from the Bible you could choose to be tried by a church court (often treated less harshly). Because the king could not afford to set up a police force or prisons, punishments were harsh to frighten others from committing crime. Punishments included:  execution or mutilation  humiliation eg. stocks, pillory, whipping in public.  fines

DEALING WITH TREASON

Treason = attempting to overthrow the monarch/government.

Why did people rebel against the monarch (King/Queen) in this period?  They felt the monarch had usurped power (gained power illegally). This led to rebellions against Henry VII who had seized power after killing Richard III.  The monarch represented a false religion which went against God’s will eg Guy Fawkes Plot against James I.  The king or queen was not addressing the needs of their subjects esp. the poor. Kett’s Rebellion against Edward VI was an example of this.  The monarch had become a tyrant ruling through fear and unwilling to share power eg Charles I who was overthrown by Oliver Cromwell.

What arguments were used against rebellion?  It went against God’s will because of the belief in Divine Right (rulers were chosen by God).  Society was based on hierarchy were everyone had their place. This was seen as natural and the basis of stability. It prevented civil war and destruction.

Overall, treason was considered to be the most serious crime because it threatened the whole kingdom. Punishment for treason Those involved would be interrogated and probably tortured. They would be tried in a special court of the Star Chamber where there was no jury. The punishment was always execution. There were two types. Aristocrats were usually beheaded by axe Other people were executed by hanging, drawing and quartering. This was a mediaeval punishment brought back by the Tudors.  The victim was first drawn through the streets in a cart for public humiliation. 9  Then they would be hanged until almost dead.  Then their innards were withdrawn from their stomach whilst alive.  The body would then be quartered with an axe. The head and parts of the body then displayed in cages. The property of the victims was given to the King.

Why was such a harsh punishment used? It was a deterrent to others, which is why the punishment took place in public.

What was heresy? This was the belief in a “contrary religion” i.e. not the one of the monarch. This was a big issue in the Tudor period because of the conflict between Catholics and Protestants that resulted from the Reformation. Mary I was a Catholic and convicted many Protestants of heresy. Elizabeth I was a Protestant who convicted many Catholics of heresy. Why might it be considered to be treason? Heresy involved going against the religion of your king/queen that therefore was a threat to their divine right to rule. How was this punished? They were offered a pardon if they recanted their faith (give up their religion). If they refused, they were burnt at the stake. Mary I (Bloody Mary) burned over 300 Protestants. Elizabeth I sent 250 Catholics to be hung, drawn and quartered.

THE GUY FAWKES PLOT This plot was an attempt to get rid of James I in 1605 by blowing up Parliament with gunpowder. It was therefore a case of treason.

Reasons: Religious differences still strong due to the Reformation (Protestant versus Catholic). James I had become King in 1603 and this was seen as a chance by Catholics to return to the Catholic religion after the Protestant Elizabeth. BUT James I disappointed the Catholics and their rights remained restricted (fines for not attending Church of England services/ arrest for holding Catholic services). Fear of Catholics remained strong for political reasons (fear of helping Spain, a Catholic country invade England). James I made clear his hatred of Catholic “superstitious religion”. Catholics made up 5% of the population. Instead of a mass uprising Catholic nobles decided to organise a plot against the King. The plotters therefore wanted to put a Catholic on the throne because James I was a Protestant King.

The plotters:  A dozen aristocrats from leading Catholic families.  Guy Fawkes was the explosives expert, responsible for igniting the gunpowder in the cellars of Parliament. The Plot was betrayed. Punishment:  Leaders were tortured then hung, drawn and quartered.  Their remains were sent to cities throughout England to be hung on spikes as a warning to others. James I saw the plot as treason, the penalty had to be death.

The punishment was to act as a deterrent to others. The plot shows the importance of religious conflict and the threat it could pose to a monarch.

10

VAGABONDS

Vagabonds were beggars, tramps and vagrants who wandered the country without a settled job. Some were demobbed soldiers/ criminals/ unemployed. Numbers increased according to the level of poverty: eg. London had 69 in 1500, 555 in 1600 (a bad year). In Oxford the number rose from 12 to 67.

In the Middle Ages people were not free to move from village to village but by 1500 these restrictions had gone. Those that were aged and sick were given licences to beg. Those who were able to work (Sturdy beggars) were treated harshly.

Why were people so hostile to vagabonds?  They were seen as lazy. It was their own fault they were poor. The growth of Protestant religion, with its belief that you had a duty to God to work hard, made attitudes more hostile.  Vagabonds were blamed for crime.  Vagabonds had to be paid for by a local poor rate (a tax to provide help for vagabonds). The poor were seen as they responsibility of the village they were from. Vagabonds should go back to their own village! During bad harvests the cost of supporting lots of vagabonds was a worry.

This hostility led to harsh punishments: burning of the ear, whipping in public for first offence (This was to humiliate vagabonds and provide a warning to others.) Execution was used for repeat offenders. JPs could send vagabonds home or send them to a House of Correction (known as Bridewells). The harshness of these punishments tells us that many feared the vagabond and they were a useful scapegoat in times of poverty. But they were small in number and never a threat to law and order.

WITCHCRAFT IN THE C16/17th

Middle Ages: witches were often seen as eccentric old women who knew about herbal medicine. C16th: CHANGE: Witches were dealt with harshly. WHY?

 Period of religious change (Protestant v. Catholic) Anyone who went against the official religion was seen as rebelling against the monarch (treason). Witchcraft made a crime punishable by death.  Influence of superstition, bad harvests or bad luck blamed on witches (scapegoats).  Witchfinders eg. Mathew Hopkins (travelled in East Anglia, said he could root out witches, looked for “Devil’s marks” scars, boils or spots, “familiars ie. the Devil in animal form, usually a cat. Some were tortured until confessed, swimming test - if you could swim you were guilty-), witchfinders were paid for every witch they found! Most people were accused of witchcraft by local people who thought they were bringing bad luck on the village.  Role of government:  a) Henry VIII made witchcraft a serious crime b) Elizabeth I passed a law that made “major witchcraft” punishable by death. “Minor witchcraft” punished by the stocks c) James I wrote a book, Demonologie: this had a big impact. James was paranoid about witches, he acted as judge on cases in Scotland, thought he was in personal danger of witches, passed strict laws against them. He told people to be on the lookout for evidence of witches. Over 1,000 witches, mainly women, were executed.

Why women accused of witchcraft? Less than 10% of those accused of witchcraft were men (warlocks). Reasons:  Religious angle: women seen as weaker sex, more likely to fall for temptations of the devil (like Eve in the Adam and Eve story).  Many women lived on their own due to impact of wars.  Misogyny: hatred of women Thus, it reflects attitudes to women at the time! 11

Tests for witches: based on religion and superstition

• looked for “Devil’s marks” scars, boils or spots, a third nipple. • “familiars ie. the Devil in animal form, usually a cat. • The “needle test” (pricked by a needle; if you did not feel pain it was the devil’s work! • Some were tortured until confessed. • The swimming test - if you could swim you were guilty-) “Trial by Ordeal”.

Key themes: importance of religion and superstition, power of the government.

End of C17th: CHANGE: Witchcraft declined as an issue of concern. WHY?  Mathew Hopkins revealed as a cheat.  More stable government after the Civil War. Less religious tension.  Decline in belief in witchcraft by the educated classes.  Age of science and reasoning due to the Enlightenment led to less superstition. Royal Society set up during reign of Charles II to promote science.  Growing prosperity reduced tensions in villages.

1736, last law saying witchcraft was a crime was repealed. Key themes: decline of religion, growth of science, government view less harsh than public.

POACHING

Poaching was illegal hunting. The laws against poaching were very unpopular. Only the very rich landowners (whose land was worth £100 a year) were allowed to hunt and they could hunt on any land. The Black Act of 1723 made poaching deer, hare or rabbits a capital crime (ie. punished by the death penalty) this included anyone caught armed or disguised by blackened face who could be assumed to be a poacher. Possessing snares for catching animals was also made a crime. These laws against poaching were hated because they seemed to be for the rich only.

Why did people poach?  to supplement their food esp. during bad harvests.  As a sport. Some found it exciting.  As a trade. Some sold the dead animals for profit.  Many believed that killing wild game animals was a right that everyone should have. (They were not a farmer’s property in the same way as cattle and sheep). It was often difficult to convict poachers because of their solidarity (no-one would talk to the gamekeepers who protected large farm estates) and because juries often sympathised with the poachers and let them off. Poaching tells us that unpopular laws will be broken by many people who think they are unfair.

Jonathan Wild: Thief-Taker General.

An example of early C18th theft. Wild was a servant in London. He got into debt and went to prison where he learnt from other criminals. When released Wild became a city official and pledged to track down criminals. He became known as Thief-taker General, using a network of informers to break up gangs of thieves and highwaymen. Used his knowledge to control thieves and organised robbery and burglary for his own benefit. He became a very powerful criminal boss whilst seeming to be respectable. His position was threatened by Jack Sheppard, a famous housebreaker whose exploits made him popular (eg. escaped through six bolted doors using handcuffs and an iron bar). When Wild executed Sheppard he became very unpopular. Eventually Wild was caught receiving stolen goods and was hanged in 1725. After his death crime in London soared.

Importance of Wild: shows problem of prison turning petty criminals into hardened criminals/ shows problem of a lack of a proper police force. The old methods of law enforcement (watchmen/ hue and cry/local constables) could not cope with the growth of towns and cities. 12

THE BLOODY CODE

During the period 1600-1750 punishments for crime became harsher. Any new crime eg highway robbery, poaching or smuggling was dealt with by use of the death penalty. This development was called, by its critics, the Bloody Code.

Why was the Bloody Code introduced?  Fear of rising crime (crime was actually falling but it received a lot of attention in newspapers/ broadsheets).  Decline of the church as a means of controlling society/ increased travel/ increased trade/ growth of towns and cities made dealing with crime more difficult.  Wealthy landowners used the law to protect their own rights and privileges.  The idea of creating a proper police force was unpopular (it would take away people’s freedom/ too expensive).  People believed that harsh punishments would act as a deterrent and prevent crime taking place.

During the Bloody Code the number of executions fell. Why?  Juries were unwilling to find someone guilty if the penalty was death.  If you were sorry for your crime or had a previous “good character” you could often escape the death penalty.  The development of transportation to the American colonies as an alternative to hanging.  A fall in the level of crime. (This enabled supporters of the Bloody Code to say it worked but critics pointed to the factors given above for the fall in executions).

CHECK YOUR REVISION

1. Explain the role of each of the following in enforcing law and order in the Tudor Period:

a) Watchmen b) Hue and cry c) Sheriffs d) Justices of the Peace (J.P.s)

2. State one similarity between this system of law enforcement and that used in the Mediaeval Period: ………………………………………………………………………………………………………

3. What were the following crimes and explain why they were considered to be so serious in the Tudor and Stuart Period (1485-1714)

a) Treason is ……………………………………it was taken seriously because…………………. ……………………………………………………………………………………………..

b) Heresy is ……………………………………… it was taken seriously because………………… ……………………………………………………………………………………………………..

c) Vagabondage is……………………………………… it was taken seriously because………………… ……………………………………………………………………………………………………..

d) Witchcraft is ……………………………………… it was taken seriously because………………… ……………………………………………………………………………………………………..

13 4. State three ways in which vagabonds were punished: 1…………………….. 2………………………. 3……………………

5. Explain how the role of the monarch encouraged witchcraft hysteria in the C15/C16th:………………… ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………… ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………… ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

6. Write a sentence to explain how each of the following led to a decline in witchcraft trials: The rise in scientific knowledge led to a decline because……………………………………………… ………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. ………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. The economy started to improve in the late C17th therefore…………………………………………… …………………………………………………………………………………………………………… ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………. The Church of England became established meaning……………………………………………………. …………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

7. List three ways in which tests for witches reflected religion: a)………………………………………………………………………………………. b)………………………………………………………………………………………. c)………………………………………………………………………………………………

8. What is poaching? ………………………………………………………………………………………..

9. Explain why poaching was taken so seriously: ……………………………………………………. ………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

10. The Black Act of 1723 introduced what measures?......

11. List four reasons why smuggling was difficult to deal with in the C18th:

a)……………………………………………………………………… b)………………………………………………………………………. c)……………………………………………………………………….. d)………………………………………………………………………..

12. What term was used to describe Jonathan Wild? …………………………………………

13. What does the career of Jonathan Wild tell us about the effectiveness of the system of law and order used during the early C18th? It tells us that……………………………………………………………

I have come to this conclusion because………………………………………………………………………………… ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

14. What was the Bloody Code? …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

15. Which factor do you think was the most important reason for the development of the Bloody Code? Explain your choice. ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

14 Challenge Task:

Question 3 will ask for an explanation of an event or situation. It is worth 10 marks = 10 minutes.

The two key points for success are:- 1 : Addressing the specific focus of the question e.g. why did it change..., why did it rise..., why did it fall..., why was hard to stop... Make sure this drives the answer and is clearly addressed in your conclusion.

2 : Try to develop three key points with examples from your own knowledge. For example Why did the treatment of vagabonds change from c1350 to the end of the Tudor period? (10)

Focus is Why did it change. You are dealing with the period 1350 to 1601.

• Closure of monasteries (1530s) = this reduced support for the poor and therefore encouraged more vagrants which increased the public fear of them because of crime and cost to society with the local poor rate. Therefore treatment became harsher with whipping; mutilation and executions instead of earlier pillory/stocks and sent home.

Now: develop two further points. Finally, write a quick conclusion which the key changes together.

CORE 3: 1750-1900 THE IMPACT OF INDUSTRIALISATION

This period saw a revolution in punishment and policing:  the Bloody Code was abolished;  prison sentences became the usual method of dealing with crime;  a professional police force was set up.

Factors causing change:  the new conditions brought about by the industrial revolution  rising crime and rising fear of crime  changing attitudes to crime. The Enlightenment of the C18th led to thinkers putting forward the idea that the human race could improve itself by knowledge and education.  the changing role of government - greater intervention in affairs and greater wealth.

PROBLEMS WITH LAW ENFORCEMENT IN THE PERIOD OF INDUSTRIALISATION

The industrial revolution led to urbanisation, the growth of large towns and cities. These over-crowded conditions were many lived in squalor and poverty provided conditions where new types of crime could flourish. The increasing wealth highlighted the growing difference between the rich and the poor.

15 “New” crimes  Pickpockets. The increased number of wealthy traders and industrialists provided lots of opportunities for pickpockets who could quickly disappear after stealing items by blending into the street crowds.  Footpads. Robbers who operated on foot.  “Artful dodgers”. (As in Charles Dickens’ novel “Oliver Twist”)

Pressure on law enforcement: With the growth of large cities people did not know everyone. Therefore:  the system of hue and cry broke down.  The numbers of watchmen and constables was inadequate.

1. DEALING WITH RIOTS

Large overcrowded cities also posed the danger of potential riot, especially when economic conditions were bad. The gov. had no real police force to deal with such situations. Their only option was to use the army.

Example: PETERLOO, 1819 An example of political protest. 60,000 people gathered at St Peter’s field, Manchester. Reasons:  Political: reformers demanded “liberty” (influence of the French Revolution) and “votes for all”. Henry Hunt, an excellent speaker was going to address the crowd on the need for reform.  Economic: large crowd was also due to rise in bread prices/ unemployment (both caused by the war against France). These people saw gaining the vote as a way to improve their conditions. They also had less to lose.

Actions of the authorities: the local magistrates were worried that Hunt would give a signal for rebellion. Riots had been common since 1815 due to the economic depression. Thus, the event took place in a period of great tension. The magistrates were also worried because the crowd was too big for its special constables to control. So they called in soldiers (the yeomanry) who panicked and fired on the protestors. 11 people were killed.

2. THE DEVELOPMENT OF A PROFESSIONAL POLICE FORCE

Why was a professional police force needed?  The old system (watchmen/hue and cry/local constables) was ineffective.  Constables were usually old men, unpaid and part-time.  Large cities provided too many opportunities for criminals to get away with crime.

John and Henry Fielding: London magistrates who decided to improve the city’s policing. Set up horse patrols to catch highwaymen, the Bow Street Runners (a team of thief takers), the Hue and Cry newspaper to warn people of crime. These measures were a response to concerns about crime increasing with the growth of London (urbanisation/industrialisation). They were not especially effective but better than nothing! They avoided another Jonathan Wild.

Sir Robert Peel: Set up the first professional police force in London in 1829. Peel was Home Secretary. He extended the Bow Street Runners to daytime patrols and in 1829 set up the Metropolitan Police force of 3,200 men to cover a 7 mile radius of the centre of London. Within 25 years all parts of Britain had their own police force. Change: How was it different? Professional, trained, paid, organised with structures. Blue uniforms (not red like the army) Government and tax payers now prepared to pay for police. It led to the setting up of over police forces throughout the country.

Why was there support for setting up a police force in 1829?  The government was more willing to raise taxes to pay for a police force.  A belief that crime was rising and needed to be stopped.  The French Revolution had led to a greater fear of unrest.  The growth of cities, such as London, highlighted the inadequate nature of the old system of law enforcement.

16 To start with the police were unpopular and seen as a joke. Many police officers were dismissed for being drunk on duty. BUT they soon became respected. Nicknamed “Bobbies” or “Peelers” (after Peel) they wore blue uniforms (deliberately different from red soldier’s uniforms) and were seen as a major reason why crime declined after 1850.

EARLY C18th THEFT: HIGHWAYMEN

Highway robbery was not a new crime but in the C18th it became more common and more feared. Reasons: growth of travel, more people with more wealth, horses were cheap, handguns were easy to obtain, lack of a police force, many open, lonely areas outside large towns.

Image: Highwaymen were portrayed as glamorous, daring, well-dressed “gentlemen of the road”, always polite to women and did not use violence because people handed over their purse. The horse provided a quick getaway.

Reality: used violence eg. one cut the tongue out of a woman’s mouth to stop her reporting him. They disrupted trade and the roads into London were badly affected.

Example:  Dick Turpin. Life of crime: smuggler/burgler before joining forces with Tom King, another highwayman. Turpin was ruthless, usually attacked women travelling alone and killed at least one man. Turpin shot King when he was captured to stop him talking. Turpin fled to Yorkshire where he was captured for horse stealing and executed in 1739. Later Turpin was glamorised in a poem, which mentioned him riding his horse Black Bess from London to York in one day. (Turpin never owned a horse called Black Bess!).

Why did highwaymen decline?  Introduction of stagecoaches gave better-protected transport.  Banks grew thus less need to carry large amounts of money.  JPs closed down taverns known to offer shelter to highwaymen.  Mounted patrols were used around London.  Rewards were offered.

CHANGES TO PUNISHMENT:

1. THE ABOLITION OF THE BLOODY CODE

The Bloody Code was abolished in the 1820s and 1830s. This was largely through the reforms of Sir Robert Peel, the Home Secretary.

Why was the Bloody Code abolished?

1. The ending of Public execution.

These were meant to frighten people but they did not do this.  Executions drew large crowds who laughed and got drunk.  Newspapers spread details of executions and they became a sort of spectator sport. Factories often closed on execution days so that people could go and see them.  Large crowds could develop into riots; if a popular person was to be executed the crowd might try to rescue the criminal. The government responded to this by moving executions from open spaces on the edge of towns to just outside goals to try to minimise crowd trouble.  A few liberal thinkers thought public execution was barbaric.

17 2. Juries would not convict people if the penalty was death, especially for minor crimes. Thus, many criminals were actually let off. This defeated the object of the Bloody Code.

3. Changing attitudes. Some people thought the death penalty was brutal, especially for minor crimes. Criminals should be given the chance to reform by correctional punishment.

4. The work of Samuel Romilly. Campaigned against the Bloody Code. A lawyer and member of the government, he campaigned to reduce the number of crimes punishable by the death penalty. IMPORTANCE: his work led to some capital crimes being abolished but attitudes were already changing. The failure to prosecute criminals where the death penalty was involved had already convinced many that the Bloody Code should be changed. In 1808 no MP voted against ending capital punishment for pickpockets. Thus, Romilly reflected changed attitudes rather than caused them.

The main alternative in the early C19th was transportation.

2. TRANSPORTATION

Early transportation. Transporting criminals to America had been used since the 1700s. Why?  To help colonise America for Britain.  Cheap labour.  To remove criminals from Britain.  There was no prison system.  Need for a “medium punishment” between fines and the death penalty.

But by the C18th this was no longer possible as the American colonies had become independent. Because of this prisons and hulks (prison ships) had become overcrowded. So when Captain Cook discovered Australia it was seen as an answer to the crisis.

Why transport criminals to Australia?  It would solve the overcrowding of goals.  Australia was unknown and would strike fear into people to deter them from crime.  Crime would be lowered because criminals would be removed from Britain.  It would help Britain colonise Australia as part of its Empire.  It would reform criminals by giving them new skills.

Protestors and rioters were often transported but the majority were thieves. The peak years for transportation were 1820-40.

What was the process of transportation? Prisoners were held in hulks until enough were gathered to make the journey. The voyage took about four months. On arrival the convicts were assigned to do labour for settlers who became their masters. Convicts could be released early for good behaviour. Many settled in Australia where opportunities were greater than in Britain.

Why was transportation ended?  It was more expensive than prison.  Australians protested against dumping convicts in their country.  Australia was soon an established British colony.  Transportation was seen as an opportunity rather than a punishment. “A summer’s excursion”. When gold was discovered in Australia in 1851, transportation was seen as very desirable.  Since transportation had been used crime in Britain had not fallen.

Transportation declined rapidly after 1840. Rarely used after 1860.

BUT transportation did work in that it reformed many criminals. Many stayed on in Australia and led successful lives outside of crime. 18

3. PRISON REFORM

The increasing use of prisons was a sign of changing attitudes: that criminals could be reformed as well as punished. The failure of the death penalty to deter criminals and the end of the Bloody Code meant they were used more in the C19th. But conditions in prisons were often so bad it was little more than a death sentence.

Why reform prisons? The problems of prisons was revealed by John Howard in his book “State of the Prisons in England and Wales” (1777).  Conditions were poor eg no running water/ unhygienic/ poor food  No separation of petty criminals and serious criminals. 60% of prisoners were debtors.  Gaolers were not paid by the government. They charged prisoners for food, “lodging” and for discharge after sentence was served.

Influence of Howard: Sheriff of Bedfordshire and had responsibility for its prisons. Visited many prisons in England and abroad. His book provided evidence about prisons, which was used to call for reform. Good publicity for the reformers BUT little was done during his lifetime. The French Revolution delayed any reform in Britain.

A key prison reformer: Elizabeth Fry.

 She was a Quaker who had worked with the homeless before the work in prisons. In 1817 she set up the Association for the Improvement of Female Prisoners in Newgate prison. Believed prisoners could be reformed by hard work and religion.  IMPORTANCE: Helped bring about changes in Newgate: provided clothing, furniture, female warders for female prisoners, separation of prisoners by sex, prison schools for women and children which focussed on religion. These reforms were later adopted at other prisons.  But women only prisons not set up until 1853 (Brixton).

Peel’s Gaols Act, 1823 Put into place many of the suggestions of Howard, also influenced by Fry.  Paid gaolers.  Women gaolers for women prisoners.  Visits by chaplains and doctors.  Basic education.

Led to prison building programme, designed by Joshua Jebb.

Prison issues:

1. Separate or silent. Separate: individual cells to stop criminals spreading their knowledge in prison. Only mixing for exercise and religious services. Pentonville prison was built as a model “separate” prison. This system was very expensive. Later solitary confinement was used as an extra punishment.

Silent: Critics said the separate system was too harsh and led to suicide and insanity. Better to let prisoners work together but in silence. Cheaper but hard to enforce.

2. Useful or pointless work. Useful work was preferred by the reformers as it taught prisoners skills useful when they left prison eg. mending sacks, sewing mailbags.

Pointless work was seen by some as a better punishment eg. oakum picking (pulling apart tarred ship rope - “money for old rope”); the treadmill (walking nowhere on a revolving wheel); the crank (turning a crank handle 10,000 times a day. The warder could make this harder by tightening a screw, hence warders nicknamed “screws”). 19

By the 1850s the usual pattern was at least four years for serious criminals:  one year in solitary confinement  three years hard labour  if well-behaved released. Punishments for bad behaviour included whipping, electric shocks bread and water diets, solitary confinement.

During the C19th government responsibility over the prisons increased: inspectors/ rules for prisons and in 1878 the government took over control of all prisons.

Debate over whether criminals could be reformed or whether they would re-offend on release led to a harsher prison system at the end of the C19th.

THE TOLPUDDLE MARTYRS

This is an example of how attitudes to crime and punishment changed.

A group of agricultural workers transported to Australia for joining a trade union. 1833: Farm labourers in Tolpuddle, Dorset set up the Friendly Society of Agricultural Labourers. Its leader was George Loveless. Since 1824 it was not illegal to belong to a union (often called “combinations”) BUT many employers hated and feared them. WHY?  They would interfere with their business, demand rights that would reduce their profits.  They also feared the new GNCTU (Grand National Consolidated Trade Union), which aimed to bring all workers together and would make them stronger.  Farm owners still feared action such as the Swing riots.

ACTION BY THE AUTHORITIES: Local farmers used a law which was applied to the navy that made secret oaths illegal. As the farm labourers had sworn an oath in secret when joining the union, they were arrested. The judge and jury were local farmowners and this meant the men were dealt with harshly. They were accused of plotting to burn down farm property and were sent to Australia for 7 years.

Yet by 1836 all of the martyrs had been given a free pardon. Why this change?  A campaign was organised by the GNCTU which involved meetings and demonstrations.  Key people supported the campaign eg. Robert Owen, an important radical, and MPs such as William Cobbett, Joseph Hume and Thomas Wakely.  A petition was signed by over 800,000 people.  By 1835 there was a new Home Secretary, Lord John Russell, who was willing to offer a pardon to all except the Loveless brothers, the ringleaders. This offer was rejected and under further pressure Russell agreed to a pardon for all. They returned to Britain after 3 years.

CHECK YOUR REVISION

1. List three crimes that increased with the development of cities: a)……………………….. b)……………………….. c)…………………………..

2. List three reasons why crime was easier to commit in the developing cities of the early C19th: a)……………………… b)………………………… c)…………………………

3. Why did highway robbery become a problem in the C18th? 20 Reason 1:………………………………………………………………………. Reason 2:……………………………………………………………………… Reason 3:……………………………………………………………………….

4. What were the main methods of law enforcement used BEFORE 1829? ……………………………………………………………… ………………………………………………………………. ……………………………………………………………… ………………………………………………………………

5. Who set up the Bow Street Runners? ………………………………… 6. What does the setting up of the Bow Street Runners tell us about law enforcement in the C18th? ……………………………………………………………………………………………………

7. How was Peel’s police force DIFFERENT to the old system of law enforcement? Difference 1:………………………………………………………………………. Difference 2:……………………………………………………………………… Difference 3:……………………………………………………………………….

8. Write a sentence to explain why the use of the death penalty was reduced in the early C19th: ………….. ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

9. Where were criminals transported to in the early C18th?...... 10. Where were criminals transported to in the early C19th?...... 11. Why were the Tolpuddle Martyrs transported? …………………………………………………………… ………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

12. Which of the following factors explain why transportation was used, and which explain why it declined?

Reason for use OR decline It removed the criminal from British society It was expensive It was seen as harsh It allowed criminals to reform by learning a trade It led to bush rangers causing trouble It would act as a deterent Crime in Britain did not fall.

13. Explain the importance of each of the following on prison reform as well as the limitation on their influence:

What they did. What limited their impact on prisons John Howard

Elizabeth Fry

21

Robert Peel

14. Give an example to show how the C19th prison system was designed to act as a deterrent:…………….. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

15. Give an example to show how the C19th prison system was designed to reform criminals………………. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

Challenge tasks

1. What contribution did EITHER John Howard OR Elizabeth Fry make to the reform of prisons? (10) 2. Explain how prisons were used for punishment and reform in the C19th. (10) 3. Why was transportation used as a method of punishment and why did it come to an end? (10) 4. Why was public execution used for criminals and why did it come to an end by the middle of the nineteenth century? (10) 5. How important was the contribution of Robert Peel make to law enforcement in the C19th? (10)

Highlight the key words you must focus on in these questions.

22 CORE 4: CRIME FROM 1900-PRESENT DAY

Is crime on the increase? There is the problem of recorded and unrecorded crime. The number of recorded crimes has risen far greater than the number of crimes. (We are better at reporting crimes than previously esp in cases such as rape.) The number of crimes has increased through the C20th but so has the population. Thus, although the number of murders per year doubled between 1900 and 2000, the number of murders per million people has actually fallen by 25%. People’s views about crime are influenced more by fear of crime than actual crime.

Technology and new opportunities for crime:

1. The motor car. IMPACT ON CRIME: Now responsible for the biggest category of crime and for making more of us criminals: drink driving, speeding, careless driving etc. (1.3 million motor crimes in 1996) Burglary from cars and car theft are very common. The motor car provides a quick getaway for criminals. Shows that technology has led the government to introduce laws to cover new crimes. IMPACT ON LAW ENFORCEMENT: Provides quick transport for police (rapid response teams), able to arrive at scene of crime within minutes, previously officers patrolled on foot. Has led to criticism that “you never see a bobby on the beat anymore” and many think this would deter criminals more. Car patrols cheaper than “bobbies on the beat”. Motor car now supplemented by helicopters using infra-red cameras (allow you to see in the dark), very effective in car chases.

2. Communication technology. IMPACT ON LAW ENFORCEMENT: Radio used to catch Dr Crippen (the acid-bath murderer) in 1910. 1920s saw use of telephone boxes for police officers to call for immediate help. Now use two-way radio for instant communication. A big advance on the use of the police whistle!

3. Computers. IMPACT ON CRIME: New opportunities for old crimes eg. fraud, theft, pornography. New crimes eg. hacking to gain secret information, sending viruses to disrupt trade. Computers have led to different sorts of criminals, sat at their lap tops. IMPACT ON LAW ENFORCEMENT: Greatly improved record keeping compared to written records, National Computer Record including fingerprints, motor car details, DNA, missing persons. Easier to compare data to reveal common features.

4. Other new developments: Security cameras and CCTV./ Increased weaponry. British police have traditionally not been armed with the exception of the truncheon. Today they can be issued with guns, CS (tear) gas and other demobilisers.

SHOPLIFTING. Theft (an old crime) on a different scale. C20th has seen the growth in large Dept. stores, often selling expensive goods eg. jewellers and Rolex watches. Shoplifting caused by greed, poverty, need to pay for drug addiction. Britain has become a consumer society which encourages us to own material products. Thus, theft can be seen as an inevitable consequence of capitalism.

LAW ENFORCEMENT IN THE C20th

Emphasis now on crime prevention:  neighbourhood watch schemes  burglar alarms  CCTV  Education and re-education programmes Crime prevention seen as cheaper.

Changes to policing:  Greater use of technology  More expensive  Police jobs have become more specialised

23

CONSCIENTIOUS OBJECTORS

16,000 men refused to fight in the 1st WW. WHY? Mainly for religious reasons eg. Quakers, for moral reasons (war is wrong), political reasons (socialists), because they thought the First WW was wrong. TREATMENT BY AUTHORITIES: Interviewed by tribunals and humiliated. If they refused to help in any way (Many agreed to work as ambulance drivers.) they were imprisoned in harsh conditions. All lost the vote for 5 years. Some were forced to go to France for military training, if they refused they could be court martialled and shot. Public opinion was also harsh: they were abused, sent white feathers (signs of cowardice). Why so harsh?  Seen as cowards  most swept along by a wave of patriotism and nationalism.  Seen as letting the side down esp. when so many were losing their lives in the War.  Need for men to fight due to war of attrition.

CHANGE: 2nd WW the government was less harsh. The Peace Pledge Union was allowed to protest and distribute leaflets. Tribunals no longer military in character: had to represent all classes. Greater effort was made to give them other work eg. farmwork or industrial jobs vital to the work effort. Prison was a last resort. WHY?  More respect for religious conscience, the war was to protect people’s freedom (and this included COs),  nature of warfare (new weapons such as tanks and aircraft rather than a war of attrition ie. wearing down) meant there was less need for as many men as possible as there had been in the 1st WW.  BUT public opinion was still hostile to COs, seen as cowards or shirkers. Attacked them in the streets, some employers sacked them.

Key theme: Government attitude CHANGED; public attitudes DID NOT!

PUNISHMENT IN THE C20th

Main developments:

1. Developments in Prison. Since 1900 prisons have become more relaxed. Attitudes have changed from harsh punishment to reform (changing bad habits) and rehabilitation (preparing prisoners to be integrated back into society). Criminals no longer seen as born bad but humans led astray by poverty, misfortune, bad influences.  hard labour abolished  open prisons created (prisoners allowed to leave the prison each day to work)

BUT more people have been sent to prison and this has caused a strain on the prison system. Many prisons were built in the Victorian period. A lot of new prisons have been built since the Second World War and prison ships have again been used. Nonetheless there are now alternatives to prison:

2. Probation. Meeting a probation officer at regular intervals and reporting to a police station once a week. If you do not re- offend no further punishment is given.

3. Community Service. The idea of paying back society for your crime against it. Courts set a number of hours you have to work in the community for no pay.

4. Electronic tagging.

5. Dealing with youth criminals:

24 1908 It was recognised that young people needed separate prisons to stop them being influenced by older, hardened criminals. Led to youth prisons called Bortals. These had some success in reducing re-offending. Detention centres and Youth Custody replaced the old borstals (juvenile prisons). Reform seen as more likely with young offenders but success has been limited.

6. Dealing with female prisoners. Only 6% of the prison population are women. Often in prison for crimes linked to poverty eg theft and prostitution. BUT often society views them more harshly than male prisoners because it goes against traditional view of women as carers. Prison routines are similar to those for men except they have different health services and can spend time with young children.

THE DEBATE OVER CAPITAL PUNISHMENT

The death sentence was abolished in 1965. It caused a lot of debate then and still does. Many people would like to see the death penalty re-introduced.

Arguments in favour of capital punishment:  It acts as a deterrent.  It prevents people being released from prison to commit crime again.  “An eye for an eye”. Those who take the life of others should lose their own life.  If the death penalty is not used murderers it will lead to lynch mobs killing those arrested for serious crimes.  The British system of justice is fair and unlikely to make mistakes. If there is some doubt the Home Secretary could always use his powers of reprieve.

Arguments against capital punishment:  Mistakes can be made eg Timothy Evans hanged for a murder that another man later confessed to.  The death penalty is too harsh for some serious crimes eg. (1) Derek Bentley hanged in 1953 for his involvement in the murder of a policeman. Bentley was 19 but had a mental age of 10. Bentley did not shoot the policeman; the person who did was only 16 and was too young to be hanged. (2) Ruth Ellis hanged in 1955 for killing her lover in a “crime of passion”.  The death penalty encouraged juries to let murderers off because they did not wish to risk killing an innocent person.  The death penalty stigmatises the criminal’s family.  Execution is barbaric and has no place in a modern civilised country.  There is no evidence that murders would increase if the death penalty was abolished.  Executed criminals become undeservedly famous.

THE DEREK BENTLEY CASE.

Attitudes to the use of the death penalty had been changing since the abolition of the Bloody Code in the early C19th. Additional concerns had been raised about the death penalty in the 1950s:  There had been an increase in the number of executions since the 2nd WW. 151 were executed between 1945-55.  The House of Commons had voted to abolish the death penalty in 1938 and 1947. (The House of Lords had rejected these bills.)  Mistakes had been made eg. Timothy Evans who was executed in 1950 for the murder of his daughter. Evans had a mental age of 10 and his conviction was based on unreliable evidence (that of a man, Reginald Christie, who later confessed to four other murders).  The Home Secretary could give a reprieve but this was often a lottery eg. one man who was given a reprieve because he had one leg!

The Derek Bentley case of 1953 added to these concerns:  Bentley did not commit murder. Bentley and a friend, Chris Craig, attempted a robbery at a warehouse in Croydon during which Craig shot and killed a policeman (Sidney Miles). However, Craig was only 16 and under British law at this time no one under 18 could be executed.

25  Bentley was convicted of murder because whilst being restrained by police he was said to have shouted to Craig “Let him have it!” It is unclear whether Bentley actually said this and, if he did, was it an instruction to hand the gun over to the police?  Bentley was educationally subnormal- he had a mental age of 11. Bentley was found guilty of murder and sentenced to hang. Bentley’s family organised a campaign to stop the execution. Petitions were signed by thousands and sent to the Home Secretary. Several large demonstrations were held.

What impact did the protests have?  Short term: all appeals were turned down. Bentley was executed in 1953.  Long term: Bentley’s sister Iris continued the campaign to clear her brother’s name. This finally happened in 1998, a year after Iris died.  The case received a lot of publicity and media interest. It added greatly to the pressure to have the death penalty abolished by focussing closely on how the death penalty was imposed. It moved attention from the principle to the application of the death penalty. The death penalty for all crimes except treason was suspended in 1965 and finally abolished in 1969. (This was despite public opinion remaining heavily in favour of its use.) WHY?  The Derek Bentley case was one of three high-profile cases, which raised concerns over the application of the death penalty. (The others were those of Timothy Evans and Ruth Ellis - a crime of passion against an abusive boyfriend.) This helped convince the church to support abolition. And they had a key role in the House of Lords.  By the 1960s many prison governors and officers were against it. Fewer came from military backgrounds and executions unsettled prisons and made them harder to control.  Pressure from groups such as Amnesty International.  Abolition was supported by Harold Wilson’s Labour Government of 1964. Shows influence of more liberal values of the “Swinging Sixties”.

THE ROLE OF THE GOVERNMENT IN DEFINING CRIME

The government can take a leading role in defining crime or it can react to changes in public opinion and change the law.

Race relations: racist attitudes and prejudice were strong in Britain. This was in part due to attitudes developed when Britain had an Empire. Many black and Asian people were encouraged to come to Britain in the early 1960s to work in low-paid jobs such as London transport, because of a shortage of labour in Britain. Since the 1970s these attitudes were seen as less and less acceptable by a large section of society. In recent years the government has taken the lead in reflecting this change in attitude by passing laws which have made racist actions a crime. Racial discrimination is now illegal, including racist chants at football matches. Racism has, however, continued as attitudes are hard to change by passing laws.

Other crimes that have become less acceptable now than thirty years ago:  drink-driving, due to effective advertising campaigns and greater public awareness of the dangers involved.  Domestic violence. Women are no longer regarded as the property of their husbands. Rape within marriage is now considered a serious crime, whereas until recently the law regarded this as impossible as being married was considered, in itself, consenting to have sex at all times.

Some crimes are still regarded by the public as “acceptable” eg.  smuggling alcohol and tobacco from France (were the tax is lower) into Britain.  Tax evasion. Nobody likes giving money to the government!

Smuggling 1900-present day . The reasons for smuggling in this period remain the same as for the C17th: to get money to survive/for the adventure/as a trade. Organised gangs became common because so much money could be made. Smuggling was linked to high import taxes on goods. Smuggling was a way of avoiding these taxes. Illegal goods were also smuggled eg. Drugs and pornography. During the Second World War smuggling was used to

26 supply goods that were in short supply due to rationing. The large sums of money involved means that smuggling gangs can bribe officials. There is often a lot of public support for smugglers: a “social crime”.

CHECK YOUR REVISION

1. Give three examples of new crimes in the C20th linked to the use of the motor car. a)……………………………… b)……………………… c)……………………..

2. Explain why each of the following became a new crime in the C20th: Conscientious objection…………………………………………………….. ……………………………………………………………………………….. ……………………………………………………………………………….. Domestic violence…………………………………………………….. ……………………………………………………………………………….. ……………………………………………………………………………….. Racism…………………………………………………….. ……………………………………………………………………………….. ………………………………………………………………………………..

3. Explain how computers have made it easier to commit the following crimes: a) Fraud ……………………………………………………………………. b) Theft …………………………………………………………………….. c) Smuggling ……………………………………………………………….

4. List three concerns about the use of the death penalty raised by the Derek Bentley case: Concern 1:……………………………………………………………………………… Concern 2:……………………………………………………………………………… Concern 3:………………………………………………………………………………

5. Give three other reasons why the death penalty was abolished in 1965: Reason 1:……………………………………………………………………………… Reason 2:……………………………………………………………………………… Reason 3:………………………………………………………………………………

6. Explain what is meant by rehabilitation:……………………………………………………………….

Give an example of a method used to achieve this:……………………………………………….

7. Give three changes made to the use of prisons in the C20th: a)………………………………………………………………………………………….. b)…………………………………………………………………………………………. c)…………………………………………………………………………………………..

8. Why were Juvenile Detention Centres set up? ……………………………………………………………………………………………..

9. Give one way in which female prisons are different to those for male prisoners: ……………………………………………………………………………………………..

10. List three alternatives to prison used in the C20th. 27 a)……………………………………. b)…………………………………….. c)………………………………………..

11. In which century were the following technologies first used by the police? When first used: C19th or C20th Helicopters Thermal-imaging cameras Photography Finger prints Blood hounds Speed cameras Motor car Whistle

12. Write a sentence to explain how technology has changed the job of a police officer:…………...... ………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

Challenge tasks

1. Write a clear and organized summary that analyses the impact the motor car had on crime and law enforcement? (9) 2. Explain the impact of the Derek Bentley case on the abolition of the death penalty. (10) 3. Explain how women and children are treated in prison in the C20th. (10) 4. Why were conscientious objectors treated harshly during the First World War? (10) 5. “Technology has greatly changed policing in the C20th”. How far would you agree with this statement? (18)

The big question

These carry 18 marks and therefore you need to spend about 25 minutes of this question. They will ask you to argue over a stated issue. When you read the question try to work out what the debate is. The questions will probably range across more than one time period. Examples: 1. “The most important changes to punishment took place in the nineteenth century.” How far do you agree with this statement? 2. “The role of the government in law enforcement was greatest in the Mediaeval Period.” How far do you agree with this statement? 3. “The influence of religion in deciding what was a crime was greatest during the Tudor Period” How far do you agree with this statement?

NOW: Plan answers to these questions listing evidence for and evidence against. Then write a conclusion with your overall judgement with your reasoning.

28 The Norman Conquest

Issue 1: was Anglo-Saxon England a “Golden Age”? Key theme: was Anglo-Saxon England a Golden Age? “Golden Age” means it was a good time of wealth and progress.

Anglo-Saxon Society

How was Anglo-Saxon England ruled? England in 1065 had strong and stable rule, with a very effective system of administration:  Central government was strong  The country was divided into shires that administered local areas  Burhs (fortified towns) helped defend local communities  The economy was doing well But…  The Vikings kept raiding England’s north east coast  Earls who were in charge of large areas could cause problems if they became too powerful

The king In 1065 the king was Edward the Confessor. He was not the best choice to be king:  He was not expected to be king  He used his friends from Normandy as advisers  He was not a warrior  He was obsessed with religion

Earls Large landowners or bishops. They were rich. They were members of the Witan (king’s advisers) Note: it was the Witan that decided who was to be next king when one died. Thegns Landowners Ran courts and collected tax for the king. Ceorls They owned a bit of land or had a skill. They could take part in courts. This meant many people had important rights. Most of the population. Thralls These were slaves tied to their master. They made up 10% of the population. The use of slavery had been stopped in most of Europe by this time.

Women in Anglo-Saxon England Women had a legal right to You could be fined for sexual Only 5% of land was owned own land harassment by women Women had the right to Women slaves were often divorce raped Overall: women had rights (more than in Norman society) but these were not always put into practice.

29 Anglo-Saxon Religion Key issue: Was Anglo-Saxon England a “golden age” for religion and the Church? Did religion flourish?

How religious were the Anglo-Saxons? Answer: not very! The Anglo-Saxons had been pagans (did not believe in God) until they were converted to Christianity in the C6th. Nonetheless, their belief was not always very strong:  Few could read or write  There were few churches  The English made lots of people saints without the Pope’s permission  Behaviour was poor (binge-drinking, over-eating, sex) on holy days  Many believed in goblins, witchcraft and magic

Attempts to improve the church and religion in England 1. How did St Dunstan try to improve the church?  End corruption  Improve education  Stopped priests marrying  Rebuilt churches

2. Why did he fail?  Vikings invaded and attacked churches. The Vikings were pagans.

3. Why was Edward the Confessor unable to reform the church?  Edward faced opposition from English priests (they liked the situation as it was – it provided opportunities to make them rich)  Edward forced by the Earls to appoint Stigand as Archbishop of Canterbury

4. Why was Stigand a poor choice as Archbishop of Canterbury?  More interested in power than religion  Held two church posts (Pluralism)  Sold church jobs (simony)

YET At the end of the Anglo-Saxon period there were signs of improvement. Westminster Abbey was built.

OVERALL: attempts to improve religion and the Church made, but not very successful.

Culture in Anglo-Saxon England

There is little evidence of culture and art from this period. Much of it was destroyed by the Vikings and Normans. But the lack of evidence does not mean it did not exist!

30 Art: There are some fine examples of Anglo-Saxon art eg the Alfred jewel and the Fuller brooch. Yet these are earlier in the Anglo-Saxon period and we do not know how typical this sort of high quality art was.

Anglo-Saxon literature:

a) “The Marvels of the East” A book of science that gives information about man-eating giants and other monster from the east. Based on earlier Greek and Roman books.

b) “Beowulf” An epic poem telling a very violent story of a warrior that hunts down a monster and kills it and its mother. This was probably written earlier in the Anglo-Saxon period and may be based on Viking stories rather than Saxon ones.

c) The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle A history of events written by monks. It is from the perspective of Anglo-Saxon Christians, so it is not necessarily reliable.

Literature difficult to tie in with Anglo-Saxons but it was clearly progress on a society that was illiterate (did not read and write)

Buildings: Most houses were simple, thatched structures made of timber. They do not survive as evidence except as post- holes left by rotted wood. There are written accounts of large decorated two-storey houses lived in by thegns, but these were probably only for the very rich.

One advancement was that of burhs – fortified towns with earth defences. These show skill in engineering, although many date to Alfred the Great, earlier in the Anglo-Saxon period. The building of Westminster Abbey just before the Norman conquest is better evidence of progress at the end of the Anglo-Saxon period.

Was Anglo-Saxon culture going through a “Golden Age”? Evidence of some developments, but also signs that cultural achievement had peaked BEFORE the end of the period.

Check your revision

1. State THREE features that you would expect in a “Golden Age” a) b) c) 2. 2. Give TWO good features of Anglo-Saxon government. a) b) 3. State TWO weaknesses of Anglo-Saxon government a) b) 4. What rights did the ceorls have? 31 5. What was unusual about the use of thralls? ……………………………………………………………………………………………. 6. Give TWO rights that women had in Anglo-Saxon England a) b) 7. State TWO negative points about the position of women in Anglo-Saxon England a) b) 8. Give TWO examples that show the Anglo-Saxons did not take Christian belief seriously a) b) 9. Why did St Dunstan fail to reform the church? ……………………………………………………………………………………. 10. Why did Stigand fail to reform the church? ……………………………………………………………………………………… 11. Give TWO examples of church corruption that grew under Stigand a) b) 12. Why might the Alfred Jewel not be considered good evidence that Anglo-Saxon art was flourishing? ………………………………………………………………………………………….. 13. Why might “Beowulf” not be considered the best example to prove Anglo-Saxon culture was flourishing? …………………………………………………………………………………………….. 14. What were burhs? ………………………………………………………………………..

Sources

1. If you were a historian investigating whether Anglo-Saxon England was a “Golden Age”, what would be the advantages and limitations of the following types of evidence?

Source Advantages Limitations (problems) Archaeological evidence of art eg jewellery

Evidence of buildings

The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle

Sermons from priests given in church

Burhs

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Issue 2: Why was William of Normandy able to seize the throne of England?

Norman society, 1065 Was William in a strong position to seize England because of his upbringing in Normandy?

1. The feudal system

Norman society was organised using the feudal system = a system of ties based on oaths of loyalty.

The king gave land to nobles but return they had to provide money and soldiers for the king. The nobles gave some of their land to the knights but in return they had to fight when required. The knights made peasants farm their land in return for food and protection. This system helped create a stable society.

2. Why were the Normans good warriors?

 They used knights who were full-time soldiers  They were trained  They had mastered horse riding  They used stirrups that gave them the power to fight using swords and spears on horseback  They were loyal.

3. Castles

 Knights had to defend their land – they did this with castles  Most were made of earthworks and timber.  They were made to keep Knights and their men safe. They acted as a hub to consolidate and secure an area.  There were two types of castle 1. Ringwork = enclosed area of land 2. Motte and Bailey. The Bailey is the flat area of land, the Motte is more defensive and on a hill top. Motte = hill.  Both types could be constructed quickly.

4. Religion  Popes praised Norman monks and nuns for their devotion, teaching and their art and music (unlike in England!)  Strong religious beliefs  Built fine churches and monasteries  Churches built of stone  Churches were made from stone and featured arched architecture.

5. How was William influenced by Norman values?  William became the Duke of Normandy in 1035, aged 8.  He was too young to rule and many Norman knights moved against him to secure land and power. He lived in a violent society.  He was a good tactician and was ruthless to enemies  He negotiated well too, using marriage as a tool to form alliances.  He was very religious and built an abbey for the Pope.

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The Succession crisis, 1066

Edward the Confessor died in January 1066. He had no children. Who should be the new king? Claimants to the English throne, 1066 Edgar Earl Harold Harald Hardrada William, Duke of “Atheling” Godwinson Normandy Blood relative to No No Very distantly Edward the Yes Confessor?

Were they strong Yes, Earl of Yes, he was king of Yes, Norman army enough to No, too Wessex Norway and had a large take the young Viking army throne?

Had Edward Said Edward had No, but the Danish king Said Edward choose chosen him No chosen him in had him in 1051 as his 1066 successor? Did the Witan support No Yes No No their claim?

The issue of succession was confused still further when it was claimed that Edward the Confessor had chosen Harold Godwinson as his heir on his death bed. BUT this story was given by Edward’s wife, Queen Edith, who just happened to be Harold’s sister!

Harold was crowned king of England just hours after Edward died.

How did each of the three other claimants react to Harold’s coronation?

Edgar the Atheling: accepted Harold as king. Harald Hardrada: was busy fighting the Danes. Took no immediate action. William of Normandy: was so angry that he decided to invade England and claim the throne. He claimed that Harold had visited William in 1064 to confirm Edward’s offer to make William his heir and Harold had given a promise to support this. (Harold said this had NOT happened)

Conclusion  William did not have the best claim to be king of England.  The Bayeux Tapestry gives us the Norman view based on the promises made by Edward.  Under English custom, the decision should have been taken by the Witan. They supported Harold.  There was a lot of skulduggery going on here!

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The battles of 1066

Harold knew he would face two main threats: Hardrada & William. Halley’s comet suggested that Harold might face disaster.

Battle 1: the Battle of Fulford

Harold had raised a large army (the fyrd) and based it along the south coast in case William invaded from Normandy. But William had made no move by September. Harold disbanded his army so that the harvest could be collected. It was at this point that Hardrada launched his invasion of England, landing on the North East coast.

Hardrada was supported by Tostig, Harold’s own brother. Tostig had been Earl of Northumbria but he had fallen out with Harold who then dismissed him.

Harold was now forced to reassemble his army as quickly as possible and march north. In the meantime, the northern earls, Morcar and Edwin led forces against Hardrada. They met at Fulford. Results:  Hardrada and Tostig won.  There was a lot of deaths, according to the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle.

Battle 2: the Battle of Stamford Bridge

Harold’s army now arrived in the north. They had marched 200 miles from London to York in a week. They launched a surprise attack on Hardrada and Tostig’s forces while they were resting. Results:  Harold’s army won.  Thousands died, including Hardrada and Tostig.  Hardrada’s son, Olaf, was allowed to return to Norway if he promised never to return.  Out of 300 ships, the Norwegians returned in 24 ships.

Battle 3: the Battle of Hastings

Background to the battle: Just days after Stamford Bridge, William launched his invasion by crossing the English Channel. William had a large force of 7,000 men, about 3,000 were knights with horses. William had waited 6 weeks before invading. He needed to ensure his army had all the supplies they needed. He also waited for the weather to improve so that he could make the sea crossing safely.

The timing was a big advantage because Harold’s army was still in the north. William set up a defended base at Hastings and started raiding the area. Harold was provoked into rushing back to the south coast to fight William.

Why did William win the battle of Hastings?

1. William’s background in Normandy  William had a large number of mounted knights.  William’s troops were confident because they believed that God was on their side. 35

2. William’s personal qualities

 William used the tactic of trick retreats to get the English off a hill.

3. William’s opponents’ weaknesses and errors  Harold’s forces had to march 250 miles from Stamford Bridge in 5 days and were exhausted.  Harold decided to attack William straight away rather than to wait until winter. He could have doubled the size of his army if he waited.  Harold’s troops were overconfident after the battle of Stamford Bridge.

4. William’s luck  Harold was killed.  William was able to sail his ships across the English Channel because the wind suddenly changed.

Problems with sources: No account is the same. Norman sources say Harold was cut to pieces with swords; the Bayeux Tapestry seems to show Harold with an arrow in his eye (was this story invented by Normans to hide the grisly truth?) Check your revision

1. How was the feudal system used in Normandy designed to help rulers win wars? ………………………………………………………………………….. 2. Give THREE reasons why the Normans were good at fighting a) b) c) 3. Explain how Normandy was different to Anglo-Saxon England In the following areas: a) Castles ……………………………………………………………………. …………………………………………………………………………...... b) Religion ……………………………………………………………………. ……………………………………………………………………………… 4. Who did Edward the Confessor appoint as his successor on his deathbed?...... 5. Which source tells us this? ………………………………………. 6. List TWO ways in which the Bayeux Tapestry justifies William’s right to rule England. ……………………………………………………………………………………… ………………………………………………………………………………………. 7. Give TWO ways in which William was lucky in his fight with Harold for England. a) b)

36 8. List THREE ways in which William showed he was a skilled fighter at Hastings: a) b) c)

Sources

1. If you were a historian investigating why William was able to become king of England in 1066, what would be the advantages and limitations of the following types of evidence?

Source Advantages Limitations (problems) The Bayeux Tapestry

The biography of Edward the Confessor written for Queen Edith

The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle

Norse sagas

Archaeological evidence from the site of the battles

Issue 3: What resistance was there to the Norman Conquest and how did William deal with it?

William’s coronation  William was crowned on Christmas Day 1066. This helped boost his authority. But the atmosphere at the coronation was tense. The Norman guards mistook a noisy crowd for a riot and set fire to buildings around the Abbey. William’s first actions showed he was willing to compromise with the English:  The English earls (eg Edwin and Morcar) submitted to William.  William allowed those English earls who agreed to support him to keep their land. The land of those to supported Harold was seized and given to William’s supporters, many from Normandy. He gave key positions to his close friends eg Odo, his half-brother, and William FitzOsbern.

Who was prepared to resist William and why? Main examples: 1. Edric the Wild in Mercia 37 Edric was a powerful thegn, but he had lost a lot of his land to the Normans. Edric joined with Welsh princes in Herefordshire and raided Norman settlements. It is unclear what happened to Edric.

2. Gytha in Exeter Gytha was the mother of Harold Godwinson. She fled to Exeter after the Battle of Hastings. She made contact with Irish princes and the Danes. William decided to attack Exeter in person. After an offer of compromise was turned down William attacked the city and defeated the rebels. He agreed to pardon any rebels who took an oath of loyalty to him. William now firmly controlled the South West.

William still seems to have been prepared to compromise, if possible, with the English at this stage. In 1068 William brought his wife, Matilda, from Normandy to be crowned in Westminster Abbey. There were English lords at the ceremony and the official documents of the service were in English as well as Latin. BUT tensions still existed.

3. Rebellion in the North Reasons:  Revenge  Pride  Loss of land  Attitude of new French lords  Taxes  Loss of status  North was far from London  The French were few in numbers Short-term reason: William did not keep his promise to marry his daughter to Earl Edwin

Who took part in the Northern Rebellion of 1069?  Earl Edwin  Earl Morcar  Edgar Atheling (nephew of Edward the Confessor)  Welsh lords  The Danes (250 ships were sent) The rebellion spread to the Welsh borders and the South West. It was the scale of this rebellion that made it so serious.

How did William deal with the Northern Rebellion?  He used his army to attack the centres of resistance.  Edwin and Morcar surrendered and were pardoned when they agreed to be loyal to William.  He offered the Danes huge sums of money to leave England.  He wore his crown in York Minster to remind people in the north who was their rightful king.  He decided to destroy the land (crops, animals, houses) in those areas that had rebelled - The Harrying of the North The Harrying of the North was seen as brutal slaughter. Deprived of food many people in the north starved to death. Accounts by the English describe the actions as terrible and blame William for the suffering. The Domesday Book, compiled 16 years later, records many settlements as “wasteland”. Yet, the rebellion had been a serious threat and on these grounds William’s actions could be justified. William had tried compromise first; was this more brutal approach a last resort? 38

4. Hereward in East Anglia, 1070-71 This was the last uprising William faced. It was in Ely, an island in the marshes of East Anglia. The uprising started when the Danish army returned, led by King Svein. This encouraged the English in the area to rise up. Hereward, an English thegn, attacked monasteries where gold and silver was being stored by the Normans. Much of this gold and silver had been seized by the Normans from the English. Hereward was an outlaw but his actions were more serious because he joined with the Danes. He also gained the support of Edwin and Morcar. How did William deal with this uprising?  He persuaded the Danes to return home. The harrying of the north meant there was not enough food to feed the Danish army.  William decided to lay siege to Ely in order to starve the rebels into submission. William employed the help of a witch who used farts to curse the rebels.  The English surrendered. Morcar was put in prison; other rebels had their hands cut off and eyes gouged out. Hereward escaped.

The legend: no one knows what happened to Hereward, thus he has become a heroic figure for the English. The Victorians wrote books about him. The best known being Charles Kinsley’s “Hereward the Wake – the last of the English”. They liked the way he stood up to foreign leaders. (The Victorians remembered the threat posed by Napoleon).

Revision checklist: 1. Give THREE reasons why the English resisted Norman rule: a) b) c) 2. Who were the following and which rebellion did they take part in? a) Edric the Wild b) Gytha c) Morcar d) Edwin e) Hereward f) Edgar the Atheling g) King Svein 3. What does the evidence of English accounts tell us about the “Harrying of the North”? 4. Why should we question the reliability of these sources? 5. What other source confirms the view given of the “Harrying of the North” by English accounts? 6. If you were asked whether or not you think William dealt with resistance harshly, what three pieces of evidence could you use to SUPPORT the statement? a) b) c) 7. Give three pieces of evidence you could use to CHALLENGE this statement: a) b) c) 8. Does Hereward deserve to be known as an English hero?

39 Issue 4: What was the nature and purpose of Norman castles?

The origin of castles Anglo-Saxon kings did not use castles to protect settlements. They were common in Normandy. The Anglo- Saxons did, however, use burhs (defended towns). Saxon thegns (lords) also used burh-like structures to defend their own homes The first castles in England • These were built in Herefordshire. • They were used by a Norman friend of Edward the Confessor. • He built 3 based on the model used in Normandy. • The Normans had been using them for 200 years!

The motte and bailey castle Key features: a) Keep – tower on top of the mound, used for look out b) Motte – the mound c) Moat – ditch around the castle (usually dry) d) Bailey – enclosure with huts e) Palisade – wooden fence around the bailey

William started building castles as soon as he arrived. • The earliest were in Kent. • The first Norman castles had no motte. They were ringworks.

Their purpose: to defend the Norman forces and establish control over the English. They were centres from which the Normans could raid the local area. The English were often forced to build them for the Normans and they became hated symbols of foreign rule.

Where were Motte and Bailey castles built? • A string of castles was built in Kent to defend the route from the coast to London. • Castles were often built in areas where there had been resistance: The Welsh border, Yorkshire,East Anglia • Some castles were built on old Roman and Saxon fortified sites • Before 1070 most castles were built by the king • After 1070 most castles were built by lords to protect their lands. This led to castles being built over most of England.

How might the purpose of the castles built by the lords differ from those built by the King? The early castles built by the king were to conquer England. The later castles built by lords were to protect the Norman settlement of England. Lords often built impressive castles to show their status and importance rather than because there was a serious threat of rebellion (the rebellions were over by 1071!)

Interpretations of Norman Castles

Historians have argued over the nature and purpose of Norman castles. a) Traditional view

40 These historians believe motte and bailey castles were military in purpose, used by the Normans to keep the English defeated. This view was popular in the early twentieth century when war was also common. b) Revisionist view This view was based on archaeology, which was popular in the 1960s. They showed that Norman castles were based on Anglo-Saxon ringworks and therefore castles were not that new. They also showed that Norman castles were not as strong as once thought and therefore were more about status than defence. c) Recent view This view believes that castles were an essential part of the Norman military machine and deliberately located near to Anglo-Saxon settlements that needed to be controlled. These historians have looked at studies of the landscape to come to this view.

Examples of castles: • Goltho: too small for a lord to live in but does dominate the local village. • Exeter castle: the gatehouse faces into the city. Thus, not defensive. • Elmley Castle: built on top of an earlier fort making use of defences already there. • Castle Acre: area around the castle was cleared to make it more impressive.

Note: most castles were in the countryside and not well-defended.

Conclusion: it is worth remembering that each castle often had its own individual history and it is difficult to generalise. Not all castles were the same!

The White Tower of London • It was built by William I. • It is clearly NOT a motte and bailey. • It is a stone keep castle. Purpose: it was a military fortress, palace and centre of government.

Revision checklist:

1. Label the key features of this castle. 2. What evidence would you use to show castles were not new to England in 1066? ...... 41 3. What would you use to support the interpretation that castles were new to England with the Normans? ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 4. Give THREE purposes of motte and bailey castles a) b) c) 5. Which castles are more likely to have been military in purpose? a) The string of castles in Kent b) The White Tower c) Castles in Dorset d) Castles in Yorkshire 6. What evidence is used by each of the following interpretations of castles? a) Traditional view b) Revisionist view c) Recent view

Issue 5: What impact did the Norman Conquest have on English society?

The Domesday Book This is our best evidence of the impact of the Norman Conquest on English society. What sort of information was collected? It lists settlements, who owned the land, what resources there were, who lived there and what they did. Crucially, it listed the value of the resources. William wanted to find out how rich his new kingdom was. The book compares 1086, when the survey took place, with the beginning of 1066, when Edward the Confessor died. How was the information collected? Commissioners were sent out by the King to record the information. Groups of 4 commissioners each did a circuit of counties. Why were shire courts involved in the process? Many people had no written proof of ownership of land, so shire courts were used to make final decisions on who owned what at sessions called inquests.

Why did William create the Domesday Book? Possible reasons for the creation of the Domesday Book: 1. Taxation. The book allowed William to know how much he could tax his people. 2. A way of establishing land ownership. 3. It was a demonstration of William’s power over England. Historians have pointed out that the way the book is laid out (by owners first rather than village) makes it less useful to tax collectors. What the book does show is the enormous change in land ownership after the Conquest and reinforces the fact that these changes were now legal.

The impact of the Norman Conquest on the English people The main impact came through the changes to land ownership.

42 How did William’s supporters expect to be rewarded? Those who had fought for William at Hastings expected to be rewarded with land. Land was taken from Anglo- Saxon lords who supported Harold and given to William’s supporters. Some Anglo-Saxon lords could not prove they had a right to their land and William removed them.

What percentage of land was held by each of the following in 1086? Using Domesday: a) The king 20% b) The Church 25% c) Norman lords 50% d) English lords 5%

There was now a new elite class (upper class) • The Norman elite was small in number • They spoke French • They established a new social system: feudalism

The impact on the Anglo-Saxons was considerable • Anglo-Saxon thegns (barons) had divided up their property when they died. • Whereas the Norman lords passed ALL their land to their eldest son. • The Normans built castles as centres of their estates.

The impact on the rest of society 1. People living on the manor (in the countryside) • Farming life continued as before • The number of free ceorls fell. More became dependent on their local lord. • Yet, the number of slaves declined • Rents increased making many English people poorer. • Restrictions were put on the English: they were forced to build castles for their lord; they were prevented from fishing; they had to pay more to use mills. 2. People in the towns (10% of the population).  Towns were more likely to be attacked during the rebellions.  Areas of towns were cleared to build castles.  Many towns, such as York, declined in population.  Markets were brought under Norman control and taxed heavily.

Overall, the English were made much poorer and their lives more restricted after the Conquest.

The impact of the Norman Conquest: laws & language

1. Impact on laws • The Normans used and adapted many Anglo-Saxon laws. • BUT • There were some new laws. The Murdrum Fine: if a Norman was murdered the local community had to pay this heavy fine until they handed over the murderer. 43 The Forest Laws: only the King could hunt in areas classed as “Royal forests”. Punishments were harsh (chopping off hands; gouging of eyes)

2. The impact on language There were three languages written and spoken in Norman England. a) Latin used by Normans and the Church for official records and government. b) French spoken by the Norman ruling class. c) English the spoken language of the English How had this changed from Anglo-Saxon England? • The English farmed cows and pigs but their Norman Lords eat boeuf (beef) and porc (pork). • Language was used to keep the English in their place. Danish was not spoken in Norman England, but an influence. Many words used in spoken language were Danish in origin.

The impact of the Norman Conquest on the Church

Why did William need to change the way the Church was organised? • The Church was headed by Archbishop Stigand, an Anglo-Saxon who had let corruption grow in the Church.

Changes to the Church • The organisation of the Church Stigand was replaced by Lanfranc, a Norman. Many English bishops were removed. (only one left by 1086) • Cathedrals New impressive cathedrals were built eg York and Winchester. • Monasteries Many had been destroyed by the Vikings. William restored many monasteries. Monks came to England from Normandy. • Churches Saxon churches were destroyed and new Norman churches were built, dedicated to Norman saints rather than the old English ones.

Conclusion: Norman influence was extended through the church.

Revision Checklist: 1. What was the Domesday Book? 2. Give THREE possible reasons why William compiled the Domesday Book: a) b) c) 3. Give TWO reasons why Anglo-Saxon lords lost their land after 1066: a) b) 4. Explain how the following were used to reinforce Norman control over the English: a) Taxation 44 b) The Forest Laws c) Language d) Changes to the Church 5. What points could you use to support the view that the Norman Conquest had a positive impact on English society?

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