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Crime and Punishment: Anglo-Saxon/Norman England - Coggle Diagram
Crime and Punishment: Anglo-Saxon/Norman England
Crime
After the Norman conquest in 1066, various changes were made to what was considered a crime.
One example was the implementation of the Forest Laws. tHese laws stated that areas of wilderness that were once used by all now belonged almost exclusively to the king, and anyone who wanted access was forced to pay to do so. If one was found hunting illegally on these grounds (poaching) by the foresters they often faced a corporal punishment such as the removal of fingers used for bowstrings or blinding.
The Normans also introduced church courts, which were used to try members of the clergy, separate from contemporary courts, where punishment was often less harsh.
To protect the new Norman minority from a rebellious native population, William I implemented the mud rum fine. this fine stated that if a dead Norman was found and no culprit immediately came forward then everyone in the area the body was found would have to pay collectively to make up for the death. the value of a mans life in medieval times was a 'murmdrum'.
Law enforcement
Types of trials
Trial by ordeal was a custom in which the defendant would either be forced to search for a nail in a boiling cauldron or walk a certain amount of paces with a hot iron. the wound would then be bandaged. If the wound did not show signs of healing, it proved God did not want it to, indicating guilt.
Another type of trial was trial by jury. In this instance, the verdict would be decided by a selected group of members from the community, the majority decision would decide the fate of the convicted. This system was introduced in the 11th century under King Henry II, who was responsible for various legal reforms in England during his reign.
After the Norman Conquest in 1066, William I introduced trial by combat. this process included the accused and victim having a 1 to 1 fight to the death, however, they could also hire a "champion" to fight. the winner was believed to be decided by divine forces.
Role of the Community
Local communities played a significant role in legal proceedings, particularly in the Anglo-Saxon era. an example was the "hue and cry". This was a system used to report crimes in the act, where witnesses would literally yell about what was happening and call for assistance, which was particularly effective in small communities and made it difficult for perpetrators to escape.
All men over the age of 10 in Anglo-Saxon/Norman England were obliged to join a tithing. Tithing was a group of 12 who were all responsible for the legal compliance of each other, such as ensuring a tithing member attended their trial.
Church Courts
Church courts were special courts reserved for members of the church. This concept was known as the benefit of the clergy.
these courts were often more lenient in their punishments, such as enforced periods of praying.
Church courts were very easy to exploit as to prove you're membership of the clergy you simply had to recite psalm 51, however criminals simply memorized it and ensured lenient punishment, this made church courts very corrupt and ineffective.
King Henry II disagreed with the existence of church courts as he saw them as unruly and corrupt. This led to clashes between himself and the church, particularly his archbishop, Thomas Becket, who he accidentally had killed.
Punishment
Before the Normans, many crimes in Anglo-Saxon England were made up for with fines, which were paid directly to the victims family. Only the most severe crimes resulted in capital punishment (death).
After the normans, many more crimes were punishable by death of corporal punishments. For example the new crime of poaching, illegally hunting on the kings land without permission, lead to blinding, or removal of fingers used to pull the bow string,
For smaller crimes, such as theft, the stock's and pillory were introduced. these were mechanisms placed in the centre of a village or town designed to keep the victim in place. this leaves them to be humiliated and abused by passing people. People generally threw rotten produce, insulted or even beaten.
In Norman England, if the accused was found to be innocent, which was rare, the accuser had to pay a fine to both the king and the defendant
This shows how, for the most part, the legal system was not changed as while capital and corporal became more prevalent, fines remained a staple of punishing those found of more guilty, pettier crimes.