YOUR ESSENTIAL GUIDE TO CRIME AND PUNISHMENT
KEEPING T THE PEACE W no formal police force, With maintaining law and order in m medieval and Tudor England was m very much a community affair ve
I
n medi medieval ieval and Tu Tudor udor Engl England, it could seem like crime was around every corner. People stealing food and small amounts of money were the most prevalent offences, but murder rates were many times higher than they are today, and gangs of weapon-wielding men might be seen marauding across the land. Perhaps this is unsurprising in a country that had no formal police force. But that’s not to say there was no way of maintaining law and order at all. In the early medieval period, policing was seen primarily as a community effort. Although an official known as the shire reeve would investigate major crimes and stamp out riots with the help of a posse of local men, the task of day-to-day law enforcement fell on villagers themselves. For instance, if someone saw a crime happening nearby, they would raise the ‘hue and cry’ – this involved shouting at the top of their lungs so other villagers would hear and join them, before they all gave chase to the felon.
The pillory was a common form of punishment across medieval Europe
a appointed during the reign of Edward I (1272–1307) – were also expected to carry out their duties without receiving any pay, or at least only a very modest sum. Every local man was expected to work as a watchman at some point, although the role mainly involved rather minor duties, such as telling people the time and helping inebriated people stagger home, rather than taking on hardened criminals.
GETTY IMAGES X4, ALAMY X4
NEIGHBOURHOOD WATCH As the Middle Ages progressed, villagers were given more support to tackle crime. From 1250 onwards, each village had a constable, who would help maintain the peace and take charge of the hue and cry. The constables got no remuneration for their efforts – they were generally members of the gentry, and it was seen as part of their social responsibilities. Similarly, town watchmen – first
36
HISTORYEXTRA.COM
e “Punishments wer often carried out in the public to humiliate ” er criminal even furth
In the 14th century, the shire reeve was replaced by the justice of the peace, who was typically a wealthy landowner. Acting as magistrates for smaller crimes like brawling, they kept order in the streets – and keeping the streets themselves maintained was in their remit, too. In the Tudor period, the justices of the peace grew even more important: from 1554 they could place
