In the year 1000, the population of England lay between 1.7-2.2 million. Roughly 90% of people lived in the countryside and few lived in towns. Most communities were vulnerable to warfare, weather, poor harvests and disease. Laws were made by a powerful king and nobility; strong local ties in villages allowed the strict enforcement of law throughout the country. The Church played a role in influencing ideas of crime and punishment also.

There were three main trends in Anglo-Saxon times in regard to crime and punishment:

The king grew in power and influence, therefore, penalties for crimes were increasingly decided by the king, rather than local communities
The role of the Church increased. The Church wanted to give those who had committed crimes the chance to save their souls.
Capital punishment increased - this boosted the power and authority of the king.

Role of the Anglo-Saxon King:

From 978-1016, King Ethelred II ruled over England
During his reign, there was conflict over the border between English and Scottish lands, with Vikings occupying some regions
Around the year 1000, Ethelred attacked Viking settlements through an alliance with Normandy
These actions gave him more control of the kingdom
As the authority of the Anglo-Saxon kings and territory grew, the king became the maker and enforcer of laws
The king did have advisers, but maintained overall authority
The king had to keep king's peace

Structure of Society:

Three-tiered social structure consisting of nobles, freemen and serfs
- Nobles: the king gave them land which gave them wealth and power. They were mainly responsible for maintain the king's peace in their local area
- Freemen: they would rent or own a small section of land and had no say in how laws were made.
- Serfs: they owned no land and worked for very low pay. No say in how laws were made.
All these classes were subject to the authority of the king
The nobles backed the interests of the king because this protected their interests and wealth
Nobles received land from the king for loyal support

Actions that threatened the social structure at the time were called crimes. The worst example was treason (betraying the king - e.g. helping his enemies, plotting to replace or kill him). These types of crimes are called 'crimes against authority'.

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This study note is the first in a series on crime and punishment in the UK through the ages. This focuses on anglo-saxon times, and provides an overview of anglo-saxon communities, poverty, warfare and crime & punishment.

Crime and Punishment - Anglo-Saxon Times