A movement of population to urban centres meant people knew each other less

Increased trade meant more goods and money were transported by road

1772, it became a capital crime to be armed and in disguise on a highroad

Mounted patrols, especially of goods, made robberies less successful

The growth of railways meant more trade/travel was conducted by trade

Improvement of the banking system meant less money was transported

The 1723 Black Act was introduced to counter this, making it a capital crime, but was seen as unfair as hunting was a necessity - repealed in 1823

Import taxes rose again, stimulating smuggling, due to the large profits available

Large smuggling gangs were created, which the mounted patrols couldn't catch easily due to the large amounts of coast, and the status of smuggling and a 'social crime'

Seen as a social crime as smuggling led to cheaper goods becoming available

Stagecoaches became popular, and were frequent, meaning crimes had to be fast

All laws concerning witchcraft were appealed by the 1736 Witchcraft Act, which assumed acts were those of fraudsters - thus, they were subject to fines, or imprisonment

Economic and social changes led to increased stabiliy and prosperty

The population became better educated, and therefore, less superstitious

The Royal Society led to increased scientific experiments, explaining previous acts of 'magic'

A group of farm workers in Dorset set up an early form of trade union, to protest about their lower wages

The govt. feared loss of control over workers, and thus arrested them under an old navy mutiny law - sentencing them to the maximum, 7 years of transportation

However, public support rose against this conviction (200,000+) due to the press, leading to mass protests - the Home Secretary decided to send them anyway

Protests continued, and thus, they were pardoned and sent home in 1836

Highlights how authorities used laws to criminalise those they thought of as a threat; they protected the interests of employers over all, and the pardoning illustrates the impact of public opinion

Watchmen continued to patrol, and soldiers were used to put down riots

Established in 1749 to tackle the huge crime wave, and to prevent the loss of thief taker jobs, by the Chief Magistrate

At first, they charged fees and collected rewards, but were paid by the government by 1785

Later patrolled major roads, but there were not enough of them to deal with the dramatic increase in the crime rate

Shared infomation with others - the start of a crime intelligence network

They were tasked with detecting criminals after a crime had been committed - the aim being to deter crime

1835 - Municipal Corporations Act allowed councils to set up forces in their areas, but only about half did.

1839 Rural Constabulary Act - counties could set forces, and about 2/3 of the country did

The death of Matthew Hopkins, as a prominant anti-Witch figure, ended the mass panic

The non-existence of banks meant that people often carried large sums of cash around with them while travelling

Passed through Robert Peel, who set up a committee to inspect the issue of policing London - and the 1826 crime wave helped pass it

Aim was to prevent crime and disorder, while remaining impartial

Unpopular, until they gained a reputation for being honest and trustworthy

More people in cities meant that crimes like fraud were more profitable and therefore more common

Richer people in towns stood out (eg. on horseback) so were targets for crime

Thief Takers were mainly used - which acted on the large rewards offered by wealthy victims, e.g Jonathan Wild

Paid law enforcement officers locally (privately), but quite ineffective

Done mainly by lower-class farm labourers, due to the large amount of profit it allowed them to collect