Crime in medival England
New crimes in Norman England
Anglo saxon law enforcement
Norman and later medivallaw enforcement
Medival punishments
The influence of the church
In the early times law was not written down and was local custom. However by the b1000 kings were issuing laws such as the
forest laws. When Henry II became King in 1154 laws were written down meaning there was a uniformed legal system
New Crime
Forest laws
About 30% of England
became royal forests
Village communities were
evicted from these areas
Only those who paid for hunting
rights were allowed to hunt in the
royal forest
It became illegal to graze animals, kill wild
animals or take wood without licence
Murdrum fine
if an anglo-saxon murdered a Norman and the culprit was
not caught the the culprit was not caught then the people
in the area had to pay a fine
Murdering a Norman became a
more serious crime
Anglo-saxon law enforcement
Tithings
A tithing contained ten men
Each man was responsible to bring
a man to court and if they did'nt
they would have to pay a fine
Hue and Cry
The victim or witness started a Hue and Cry ny
shouting to alert others
Anyone who heard it was expected to join in
the chase
Courts
Royal courts for serious crimes
shire courts local courts
hundred courts for petty crimes
Church courts
Trial by ordeal
Trial by hot water
Trial by water
Trial by consecrated
bread(priests only
Sanctuary
Could not be arrested but either had to agree to go to
court or leave the country
Benifit of the clergy
Change and continuity in Law enforcement Normans
Change
Parish constables were
introduced
Night watch men
Foresters
Used to police the forests
Justices of peace
Continiuty
The hue and cry system was still
used as did tithings
trial by ordeal was
still used
Medival punishments
Fines
Wergild
Fine for murdering someone. It increased with
class and role