-
1000
Crimes against the person
Cause physical harm to another person, e.g. assault, murder, public disorder. -
1000
Crimes against property
Involve taking/damaging property of another person, e.g. theft, robbery, arson, counterfeiting coins. -
1000
Crimes against authority
Threaten king or a lord, e.g. treason, betraying lord. -
1000
High treason
Plotting to kill/betray king. Seen as crime against God. Most serious crime against authority. -
1000
Moral crimes
Don't match up to society's views on decent behaviour, e.g. sex outside marriage, adultery, playing football on Sunday, failing to attend church. -
Period: 1000 to
Petty theft
73% in 1300s. 74% in 1600s. 75% in 1800s. Less than 50% today. -
Period: 1000 to
Violent crime
18% in 1300s. 15% in 1600s. 10% in 1800s. Less than 5% today. -
Period: 1000 to
Hunting/poaching
Hunting (1000-1500). Poaching (1500-today). -
Period: 1000 to
Heresy
-
Period: 1000 to
Treason
-
1066
Anglo-Saxon laws kept
Normans kept majority of laws the same. -
1066
Running away
Due to feudal system, serfs now legally bound to work for lord & not allowed to leave village. -
1066
Social crimes
Technically against the law, but most people don't disapprove of them. Result of introduction of Forest Laws. Locals willing to turn blind eye as regarded laws unfair. -
1066
Forest Laws
Previously legal activities made into serious offences. Previously common land declared as 'royal forests'. Poaching, carrying hunting weapons, cutting down trees, ownership of dogs for those living in forests were criminal offences. Hunting now treated as crime called poaching. Punishments included hanging & corporal punishments. -
Period: 1200 to
Witchcraft
-
1250
Heresy
Crime to hold different beliefs to those of established religion. -
1250
Witchcraft
Cases dealt with by more lenient Church courts. 1066-1500, only a few witches hanged. -
1351
Statute of Labourers
Introduced by Edward III in 1351. Prohibited increases in wages & movement of workers from home areas. Crime to ask for higher wages. -
1500
Vagrancy
Crime of being homeless & unemployed. In Middle Ages, people usually lived/worked close to birthplace. By 1500s, rising population & fewer jobs meant people moving around to find work. Vagabonds/vagrants wandered country without settled job. Locals afraid of them. Increased in times of poverty/poor harvest. -
1500
Heresy
Increased due to religious turmoil. -
Period: 1500 to
Vagabondage/begging
Vagabondage (1500-1800). Begging (1800-today). -
1542
Witchcraft
In 1542, during religious changes under Henry VIII, witchcraft became criminal offence punishable by death. Crime against king/state, not just religious crime. -
1563
Witchcraft
Elizabeth I made tougher laws. In 1563, witchcraft causing harm or raising dead spirits received death penalty. Witches tried in common courts. -
Period: to
Highway robbery
-
Witchcraft
James I passed law in 1604 that anyone shown to have contacted evil spirits could be hanged, regardless of whether harm had been done. Over next 200 years, 1,000 (mainly women) executed as witches. Most accusations from villagers. 1645-47, 250 cases in East Anglia (unprecedented number; witch-hunt). -
Gunpowder Plot
Attempt to blow up Parliament. Planned by Robert Catesby. Act of terrorism & treason. -
Heresy
Religious uncertainty of Reformation had passed. Last execution in 1612. -
Poaching
Social crime. Law protected interest of wealthy landowners. Land worth over £100/year to hunt (taken labourer 10 years to earn). Made more from poaching than jobs. Organised gangs supplied black market. Demand for game grew as population increased & diet more sophisticated. Minority of better-off poachers hunted for sport. Gamekeepers hated, e.g. 2 poachers shot gamekeeper's horse in 1792. -
Highway robbery
Origins in chaos of Civil War. Epidemic proportions in some areas (e.g. routes into London) by 1700s. Ruthless, e.g. one cut out tongue to stop victim reporting after mask slipped. Growth- handguns, easier to obtain, horses cheaper, lonely areas outside towns, hide/sell loot in taverns, no police force, few banks. Decline- roads improved, more coaches, land built on, more banks, JPs didn't license frequented taverns, mounted patrols, rewards, harsher punishments. -
Smuggling
Social crime. Import duties made smuggling profitable. Tea, cloth, wine, spirits. Duke of Richmond asked to smash gangs in 1748 (caught 45). 20,000 active. Fear- deterred interference, in 1748 gang in West Sussex murdered 2 customs officials. Attraction- earned 6/7x daily wage, few customs officers. Attitudes- crime created by government, wealthy took part, locals helped (2x daily wage). Organised gangs- 50-100 men, well-armed, supplied network of traders, 3 million lb of tea smuggled each year. -
Period: to
Smuggling
Smuggling (1700-1900). Drug smuggling (1900-today). -
Witchcraft
Most educated people usually judged cases & less likely to believe accusations. Belief in witches didn't completely disappear. In 1736, witchcraft laws repealed. -
Vagrancy
Increase in wealth so fear of vagrancy decreased. -
Tolpuddle Martyrs
French Revolution (1789) worried government. Protests viewed as potential uprisings. Anxious about Grand National Consolidated Trades Union (aimed to bring workers together to fight for better conditions). Not illegal to belong to union. In Tolpuddle, labourers asked employers to increase wage after cuts (refused). In 1833, set up union (Friendly Society of Agricultural Labourers) led by George Loveless. Law meant to keep discipline in navy (illegal to take secret oath) used. -
Murder
Number of murders increased after 1900 (not as quickly as other crimes). Most are unplanned. Majority know victim & have never committed serious offence before. -
Smuggling
Better transport so difficult to prevent. Legal items (e.g. tobacco & alcohol) smuggled as cheaper on continent where taxes lower. Illegal items (e.g. drugs) generate biggest profit. Demand for illegal drugs continued to rise in last 40 years. Multi-billion pound industry. 18-23 tonnes of heroine, 25-30 tonnes of cocaine & 270 tonnes of cannabis annually. Tougher immigration controls & conflicts have led to increase in smuggling. Immigrants pay to be smuggled in. -
Theft, burglary & shoplifting
Always been opportunistic thieves. Today, drug addiction often leads to theft as addicts steal to pay habit. Shoplifting established in 2nd half of century. More shops placed goods on display. -
Copyright theft
Copyright applies to books, music, films & games. Earlier in 20th century, before computer technology, widespread copyright theft involved making photocopy/recording without paying creator. In 21st century, internet made easier to illegally copy without paying. -
Period: to
Crime rate
Increased since 1900 & rapidly from 1950s. Willing to report crimes (e.g. burglaries for insurance & violent/sexual offences as police better trained/more sympathetic). Telephones to inform police. Crimes previously dealt with 'off the record'. By late 1990s, crime rate falling & continued today. Lowest since 1981. -
Conscientious objectors (WW1)
COs refuse to take part in war for moral reasons. Alternativists & absolutists. In 1916, government introduced conscription. 16,000 refused. Military Service Act allowed conscription. COs stated case before local tribunal court to decided if genuine. If refused to support war in any way, sent to prison. 73 died. Couldn't vote (until 1926). Press spread views of COs as cowardly/unpatriotic. Isolated & received hate mail or white feather as symbol of cowardice. -
Drink-driving
Driving horse-drawn coach drunk became illegal in 1872. Driving car drunk became illegal in 1925. Limit for amount of alcohol in bloodstream & legally driving set in 1967. Considered normal to drive home after drinking until 1970s. Advertising campaigns highlighted risks & attitudes changed. -
Car crime
Still new invention in 1900. By 1930, cars cheaper & driving popular, but dangerous. Motorists didn't need licence. In 1934, 7,343 killed on roads. After 1935, all drives had to pass test, pay road tax, get insurance & maintain roadworthy car. Today, driving offences take up huge amount of police/court time. Speeding is most common offence. Car theft has become one of largest categories of crime. -
Period: to
Car crime
-
Conscientious objectors (WW2)
Conscription introduced in 1939. 59,162 COs. Official attitude different to WW1. Tribunals no longer included ex-soldiers. Greater effort to give alternative work. Sent to prison as last resort, not deterrent. Public attitude still hostile. Many sacked & abused in public. -
Violent crime & sexual offences
Always existed, not necessarily as crimes. Increased in later 20th century. Partly due to increased willingness to report. -
Terrorism
From 1960s, Britain under threat from terrorist violence. 1970s-90s, IRA carried out bomb attacks. July 2005, Muslim extremists carried out suicide bombing in London, killing 56 people. Other groups also use terrorism to further their cause, e.g. animal rights. -
Abortion
Until 1967, terminating pregnancy was illegal, with a few exceptions for strict medical reasons. 1967 Abortion Act legalised abortion if child would have serious disabilities or mother at risk of physical/mental harm. Legal limit was 28 weeks, now 24. -
Drug-taking
Many drugs first became illegal in 1971 Misuse of Drugs Act. Legalisation of some classes is controversial issue (should be personal choice as long as doesn't harm others; legalisation needed to tackle crime associated with illegal drug-taking, e.g. sex trafficking/gang-related violence). -
Fraud
Fraudsters trick people into handing over important details. In past, done by approaching individual. Today, done by sending email to large group & hoping a few will reply (e.g. with bank/credit card details). -
Extortion
Obtaining something, usually money, through force/threats. In past, done using letters, telephone or in person. Today, internet enables threats on wider scale. Some extort money by threatening to hack businesses' computer systems. -
Cybercrime
Many cybercrimes previously carried out using different means. New technology allows crime on larger scale (sometimes global). -
Period: to
Computer crime
-
Domestic violence
Violence/abusive behaviour in relationship made crime due to changes in attitudes towards women's rights. In 1976, victims had right to ask for injunction against violent partner. In 1991, law recognised rape within marriage. In 2014, controlling/coercive behaviour towards partner made crime. -
Race crime
In 1950s, many people from Commonwealth moved to Britain for work. Became more multicultural so new laws needed. 1968 Race Relations Act made it illegal to refuse jobs/housing/public services to anyone on basis of race/ethnic background/country of origin. Became hate crime in 2006. -
Homophobic crime
1967 Sexual Offences Act decriminalised homosexuality. In 2007, homophobic crimes became hate crimes. Until then treated same as other crimes. New law meant it would be taken more seriously. -
Period: to
Hate crimes
Crimes linked to prejudice. In 2007, Government introduced new law covering hate crimes. Range from criminal damage/vandalism to harassment/physical assault. Victims targeted for race, sexual orientation, religion or disability. Growth of religiously motivated crimes in recent years.