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1066
Battle Of Hastings
A battle for the English throne, which was won by William Of Normandy. -
1166
Assize of Clarendon
Established criminal law procedures in an attempt to control the unlawful areas of Britain in Henry II reign. -
1215
Abolition of Trial By Ordeal
It was abolished because it began to be viewed as irrational because it depended on factors outside of whether the accused was guilty or innocent, such as luck and strength. It could allow the guilty to escape punishment and the innocent to be unjustly punished. -
1361
Justices Of Peace Act
Justices of Peace were local landowners who were given the power to hear less serious crimes. They held quarter session courts four times a year and eventually took over hundreds of courts and sheriffs’ courts. -
Period: 1509 to 1547
The Rule Of Henry VIII
Henry VIII was a Catholic at heart but removed himself from the Catholic Church of England in 1534 so he could divorce his wife. He justified this split to the public with the declaration that he and the new Church of England (which he was the head of) were protestant. -
1517
The Protestant Reformation
The protestant reformation was a period of violent religious change, originating in Germany by Martin Luther, but it spread throughout Northern Europe. Protestants were Christians who disagreed with many of the practices of the Roman Catholic Church. -
1534
Henry VIII breaks away from the Catholic Chruch
Henry VIII was a Catholic at heart but removed himself from the Catholic Church of England so he could divorce his wife. He justified this split to the public with the declaration that he and the new Church of England (which he was the head of) were protestant. -
1542
Witchcraft Act
In 1542, Parliament passed the Witchcraft Act which defined witchcraft as a crime punishable by death. -
Period: 1547 to 1553
The Rule Of Edward VI
He widened the split between England and the Catholic church and established stricter laws that required people to worship in a more protestant way. -
Period: 1553 to 1558
The Rule Of Mary I
Mary I reverted England back to Catholicism. In order to assert her authority, she sanctioned the burning of over 300 convicted heretics. -
Period: 1558 to
The Rule Of Elizabeth I
Elizabeth, while being a Protestant, attempted to make some compromises to allow Protestants and Catholics to coexist but was firm that England was a protestant state. While there were fines in place against Catholics, these weren't enforced. -
16th-century Vagrancy Acts
This was the last of a series of 16th-century Vagrancy acts that outlined that vagabondage was to be punished with public whipping and mutilation. This was done in public in an attempt to deter but made little sense considering vagrancy was not a choice. -
Poor Rates introduced.
These were a tax paid by the wealthy to provide welfare for poorer members of the parish. -
Period: to
The Rule Of James I
Laws against Catholicism were tightened as England started to become firmly Protestant. However, Catholics were angered by these laws and this religious tension was realised in the 1605 Gun Powder Plot. -
The Gun Powder Plot
A plot to assassinate King James I in the hope that he would be replaced by a Catholic monarch. -
English Civil War
The English Civil War, which was between the Royalist forces of King Charles and the armies of the Parliament, limited the ability of Royal Judges to travel around the country and deal with cases. This allowed for the religious superstitions of the locals, who were now taking cases into their own hands, to influence the punishment of alleged witches. -
Operation Of Matthew Hopkins
Matthew Hopkins, who operated in the period 1645 to 1647, 'caught' 36 witches in East Anglia. -
Rise Of Transportation
From the 1660s, transportation to America was used as a punishment. This was also seen as a deterrent as it involved sending the criminal to a land thousands of miles away and having them live in almost slavery-like conditions. This benefitted the empire as it strengthened the integration of America as a British colony and was a cheaper alternative to prisons. -
Bloody Code Introduced.
In 1688, changes to the law meant that the number of crimes carrying the death penalty had greatly increased; even minor crimes, such as vagabondage, were now punishable by death. -
Transportation Act
Allowed criminals who claimed benefit of clergy to be punished by transportation rather than the death penalty. -
Waltham Black Act
Poaching was a threat to landowner's property and so the 1723 Waltham Black Act made poaching a capital crime. -
Operation Of The Hawkthrust Gang
This was a criminal smuggling gang that controlled the south coast. They operated between 1725 to 179 -
Witchcraft Act
The 1736 Witchcraft Act stated that witchcraft was no longer to be punished with death. -
Bow Street Runners
The Fielding Brothers, who were magistrates that took over Bow Street Magistrates' Court, created the Bow Street Runners, which was a team of thief-takers who patrolled the streets of London. They investigated crimes and gave evidence in court. -
Period: to
Industrial Revolution
A period between 1760 to 1840 of technological improvements leading to more factories and growth in the number of towns. -
'The State Of Prisons In England and Wales' published
John Howard published 'The State Of Prisons In England and Wales', which strongly attacked the financial inequality prisoners faced. Howard proposed healthier conditions, separations of prisoners, and paid warders. His ideas influenced the 1823 Gaols Act. -
The French Revolution
The French revolution was the overthrowing of the French monarchy and a period of radical political changes and changes to social structure. This revolution caused the English government to feel weary of preventing Britain from having the same fate; landowners and politicians felt threatened and viewed every protest, demonstration, or riot as a potential uprising. -
Elizabeth Fry visits Newgate pison.
Fry was horrified by the unhygienic and overcrowded conditions they lived in. Male warders also sexually exploited women prisoners. Her ideas influenced the 1823 Gaols Act. -
Bloody Code Phased Out
Sir Robert Peel reduces the number of offences punishable by death by over 100. -
Gaols Act
A policy introduced by Sir Robert Peel that reformed prisons. -
Metropolitan Police Act
The Metropolitan Police, which was a force of around 3200 full-time officers, was tasked with preventing crime and enforcing the law. This was a very important step for modern policing as it was the first nationally funded police force, paving the way for further developments. -
Period: to
Seperate System
Prisons spend most of their time alone in their cells, being given time to reflect on their crimes rather than be influenced by other criminals. Religious services were provided to prisoners, in the hope that it would help them lead honest lives. Prisoners had to work in their cells so they would be prepared to get a job and be reintegrated into society when they were released. -
Friendly Society Of Agricultural Labourers
Six farm labourers from Dorest Villiage of Tolpuddle, led by George Loveless, started the Friendly Society Of Agricultural labourers. Their wages had been cut numerous times and they weren't able to support their families. -
Tolpuddle Martyrs Pardoned
In March 1836, following mass public outcry, the government granted a pardon to the Tolpuddle Martyrs, as they were fearful of protest and rebellion from the lower classes because of the French Revolution. -
Bowstreet Runners merge with Met. Police
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Metropolitan Police Detective Force set-up
This was largely ineffective because of cases of corruption and wrongful arrests. -
Pentonville Prison Constructed
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Irish 'navvies' begin settling in Whitechapel
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Compulsory for every town to have a police force.
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Period: to
Silent System
It involved prisoners being kept silent at all times, being punished with a diet of only bread and water if they spoke. Food was 'hard-fare' - adequate but the same every day. Prisoners did physically demanding hard labour for upwards of twelve hours a day. Prisoners slept on hard wooden boards. -
Public hangings abolished
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Criminal Investigation Department (CID) established.
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Royal Mint street replaced Peabody Estate
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Period: to
Jewish immigration to Britain.
Following the assassination of Tsar Alexander II, 30,000 Jews immigrated to Britain between the years 1881 to 1891. -
Growth Of The Met. Police
There were 200 separate police forces in Britain with 39,000 policemen. -
Fenian bombing campaign
In 1884, there was a Fenian bombing campaign, which contributed to the stereotype of Irishmen as violent criminals and political terrorists, further souring community relations. -
Charles Warren becomes Metropolitan Police Commissioner
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Trafalgar Square Demonstration
In 1887, the police were criticised, by the public, for using too much force to control a demonstration in Trafalgar Square, as people feared that the police were becoming too much like the army and could be used to control people. -
State of the Met. police.
At its peak in 1888, there were only 575 police officers in H division, meaning there was 1 police officer for every 300 citizens, showcasing the extent of overcrowding and the limited policing resources in Whitechapel. -
Ripper Murders
31st August - Mary Nichols
8th September - Annie Chapman
30th September - Elizabeth Stride, Catherine Eddowes
9th November - Mary Kelly -
Advancements in gathering evidence for court
Since 1901, the police have been able to use blood samples and biometric data to identify suspects. Recently, DNA samples have started being used as evidence in court. -
Conscientious objectors allowed to vote again
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Car Laws Introduced
The driving test, road tax and insurance were all introduced in the 1930s. -
First open prison opened.
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Police Training made mandatory
In 1947, it became mandatory for police officers to have 14 weeks of basic training at the National Police College. After this training, police officers would undergo further specialised training depending on which specialised unit they would enter. -
Shops began putting goods up for display
This increased the frequency of shoplifting as criminals were enticed. -
Derek Bentley hanged.
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Death Penalty abolished
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Suspended sentences introduced.
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IRA Terror Attacks
Terrorism was present both in the period and prior to it. In the 1970s and 1990s, there were terror attacks from the (Irish Republic Army). More recently, there have been acts of terrorism from Muslim extremists. -
Community service introduced.
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National Police Computer Introduced
In 1980, a database of 25 million criminals was kept using computers. -
The Neighbourhood Watch introduced.
In 1982, The Neighbourhood Watch began, which encouraged members of the community to report suspicious behaviour that the police could follow up on. -
Electronic tags introduced.
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Hate Crime Laws
In 2007, a new set of laws were introduced to criminalise hate offences, which involve victims being harrased for their race (this is the most common), religion or sexual orientation.