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Prior to the late 18th Century, prisoners were transported to Britain's colonies in North America.

Crime And Punishment: Early Modern Britain

How did Tudor and Stuart governments deal with crime? Explore changing laws, new courts, and punishments in early modern Britain with this GCSE History quiz.

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Fascinating Fact:

New laws targeted “rogues and vagabonds”. Punishments included whipping, branding, and being sent back to a home parish.

In GCSE History, the early modern crime and punishment topic focuses on c.1500 to c.1700. You study how population growth, poverty, religion, and government power shaped ideas about crime, law enforcement, and suitable punishments.

Key Terms

Vagrancy: Living without regular work or a fixed home, often travelling in search of food, shelter, or casual employment.
House of Correction: A local institution where offenders and the poor were sent to work and be disciplined, often used to control vagrants.
Witchcraft: A crime in early modern law, where people were accused of using magic to harm others or to make secret pacts with evil spirits.

Frequently Asked Questions (Click to see answers)

What is early modern crime and punishment in GCSE History?

Early modern crime and punishment in GCSE History covers how offences, courts, and penalties changed between about 1500 and 1700, especially under Tudor and Stuart rulers in England.

How were vagrants treated in early modern England?

Vagrants, sometimes called sturdy beggars, were seen as a threat to order. They could face whipping in public, short periods in a house of correction, or being forced to return to their parish.

Why were punishments so harsh in early modern Britain?

Punishments were harsh because authorities wanted to frighten people away from crime. There was no professional police force, and many people believed strong physical penalties were needed to keep society under control.

Try These Related Quizzes

1 .

Which crime was regulated as a capital offence under the 1723 Black Act (amongst others)?

Vagrancy

Poaching

Nagging

Blasphemy

The fact that this was a capital offence did not necessarily mean that all of those found guilty of it would be sentenced to death

2 .

What was meant by a "bridewell" during this period?

A courtroom

A prison

A work house for the poor

The mayor's office

Most towns had one of these at this time

3 .

What term was used to describe a robber on foot encountered on the highway?

A highwayman

A footpad

A vagabond

A vagrant

Such robbers were much feared, and they could usually run fast

4 .

As there was no police force, many victims of crime hired someone to find the culprit - for a fee. What name was given to these bounty hunters?

Private detectives

Thief-takers

Special constables

Crime wardens

Poorer victims of crime could be precluded by poverty from seeking redress in this way

5 .

Some towns and villages did employ constables, but they suffered from a crucial weakness. What was it?

They worked only part-time

They were unpaid

They had no powers of arrest

They could not pursue suspects beyond the boundaries of the village or town

Under these circumstances constables could not achieve much

6 .

In 1688 the death penalty could be imposed for no less than 50 different crimes. Why did courts in fact impose so few death sentences?

A shortage of executioners

Fear of public unrest over frequent executions

A reluctance on the part of juries to convict if they thought that death might ensue

The compassionate nature of most judges at the time

In fact the number of capital offences actually increased during the following century

7 .

Witchcraft was taken seriously as an offence in the Sixteenth and Seventeenth Centuries. What did the witch-finders look for on an alleged witch's body to prove guilt?

The taint of the Devil

The Devil's mark

The Devil's finger

The Devil's nose

They were looking for any kind of unusual spot on the skin of the accused

8 .

In Mary Tudor's reign heretics (i.e. those who followed the Protestant faith) could suffer the death penalty, and 300 were killed during her reign (1553-1558). What form of execution did they suffer?

Hanging

Burning at the stake

Drowning

Beheading

Mary and her advisors regarded the death sentence as an effective deterrent. Capital punishment was - in any event - a frequent occurrence in this period

9 .

Transportation overseas was an available punishment. To where were convicts transported until the late 1700s?

Australia

The North American colonies

South Africa

New Zealand

Transportation was not abolished as a punishment at this point: the prisoners were now re-directed to a new destination

10 .

Women accused of witchcraft often had to undertake a "swimming test". How did this establish guilt or innocence?

A woman who floated was deemed to be a witch

A woman who sank was deemed to be a witch

A woman who drowned was considered guilty, but forgiven