Please enable JavaScript.
Coggle requires JavaScript to display documents.
Crime and Punishment in Anglo-saxon England - Coggle Diagram
Crime and Punishment in Anglo-saxon England
Structure of society
King - main law maker, keeps the country at peace, responsibility of kingdom and its safety, held Witan meetings
Nobles - controlled kingdoms and had complete authority within them, given land by the king in return for their cooperation and assistance in times of war, held own shire courts and private courts
Bishops - controlled the Church, Churches taught people right from wrong through sermons, big landowners and needed protection, members of the witan and helped create laws too
Monks - under control of the Church and Bishops, wrote down Saxon law as it became more sophisticated, one of few groups that could create documents
social structure across Britain - nobles, freemen and serfs, actions that threatened this were crimes (against authority)
Role of the King
King Ethelred II ruled 978-1016, there were conflicts at the Scottish border and land occupied by vikings, he attacked some viking settlements and made alliances with Normandy (France) to stop more viking attacks. This gave him more power and this meant that it became accepted in the growing territory of England that the KING would make and enforce the laws. compared to the past - up to local authorities. Keeps the King's Mund (peace)
Crime
in c1000 towns were growing in importance (especially York and London)
more opportunities for crime against the person and crime against property - easier to get away with crime = busier, no one knows each other, large amount of trade goods and money to steal
but MOST people still lived in villages, everyone knows each other, easy and identify and catch criminals. Local communities expected to uphold collective responsibility + each area had a reeve (local official appointed by the community)
The Church stopped moral crimes (don't actually harm anyone or their property but were against society's views)
Law enforcement
believed role of local community was very important in policing behaviour, God was the final judge of innocence/ guilt
Tithings - over age 12, 10 men, in each hundred 10 tithings, responsible for each other's behaviour, role was to prevent crime mostly cattle theft
Hue and cry - any witnesses of a crime to chase the criminal and shout for help
Oaths - formal declaration of the facts, calling on God to witness that what is being said is true. Hearings were in public and accused swore their innocence under oath. Most walked free. Could call on "oath helpers" If a repeat offender or caught "red-handed" they can't swear an oath.
Trial by ordeal - hot iron (if healed innocent)/ cold water (water pure so rejected guilty)
Punishment
Wergild - fine payed to the family of the victim, to reduce blood feuds, fines decided by social status
capital punishment
corporal punishment
stocks and pillory