Crime in Industrial Britain

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Crime in Industrial Britain

Changing living conditions, the rising population in towns and the greater ability to travel had an impact on crime.

Highway robbery

This type of crime was a huge threat to the authorities as it was a cause of disruption to trade.
Demobilised soldiers were returning from foreign wars and being jobless in many cases resorted to highway robbery to steal goods for resale.
Horses and weapons had become much cheaper to obtain and increasing numbers of businessmen were travelling around the country.

Impact of toll roads

The creation of toll roads, better roads which you paid to travel on, had the effect of making travel much easier.
Businessmen travelling around to complete transactions also carried large amounts of cash and expensive items making them an easy target.

Laws on poaching

Only landowners with land over the value of £100 were allowed to hunt on their land.
- If your land was valued at less or you had tenant farmers then hunting was forbidden.
The 1723 Black Act made hunting deer, hare or rabbits a capital crime.
- Therefore, if you were found out at night armed, disguised or with a blackened face then you would have been prosecuted for poaching.
- This was not a new crime but it was widely tolerated.
- This meant that it was having an impact on rich landowners who did not wish people to be accessing their land and hunting their animals.

The crime of poaching

Gamekeepers were often employed to protect land, but this sometimes led to violence as poachers would often attack them.
Villagers would then provide an alibi for those accused, which again evidences attitudes towards this crime.
Many poachers would sell their haul on the black market as you could make significantly more money selling their catch than working as a labourer for the day.

Smuggling

This crime took place in the coastal areas of England where smugglers brought tea, wine, cloth and spirits into the country, avoiding the payment of tax on the goods.
Tax and duties were an important source of income for the government. As a result, smuggling was a crime that had a great impact on the income of the authorities.
Often smugglers were ruthless and would happily resort to violence to ensure goods could enter the country.

Smugglers

Smuggling attracted all sorts of people as it was a good source of additional income and also resulted in you having access to a number of luxury items.
Many towns and villages turned a blind eye to smuggling as they often gained benefit from it and most did not agree with the payment of taxes and duties on goods.
Often smuggling gangs would be 50 - 100 strong and as a result, would drastically outnumber any customs officials sent to try and stop them.

The Tolpuddle Martyrs

The Tolpuddle Martyrs reflect how the law was not adapted to meet the changing dynamics in industrial society.

Aftermath of the French Revolution

Following the French Revolution, there was a genuine fear of revolt and uprising in England.
The Government worried that the same thing would happen here and as a result were extra vigilant looking for signs of conspiracy and plotting.

The Tolpuddle martyrs

The Tolpuddle martyrs were a group of farm labourers led by George Loveless.
Unhappy with their wages they were trying to improve them and their working conditions.

Secrecy

This was a period prior to the formal existence of unions, this movement was in its infancy.
The group established a secret union and swore an oath to keep it secret and to support one another.

Exposing the Tolpuddle martyrs

They were caught as news of their secret oath leaked to the rich landowners.
This not being a crime made it difficult to punish the men, so they were tried under old naval laws designed to prevent mutiny at sea.

Finding a way to punish the Tolpuddle martyrs

Employers celebrated a victory as the union had been destroyed and the Tolpuddle martyrs were sentenced to 7 years transportation for their crime.

1Medieval England, 1000-1500

1.1Changing Definition of Crime in Medieval England

1.1.1Early Medieval Society

1.2Nature of Law Enforcement & Punishment

1.2.1Enforcing the Law in Medieval Society

1.2.2Punishments in Medieval England

1.2.3End of Topic Test - Early Medieval Society

1.3Case Studies From 1000-1500

1.3.1The Church

1.3.2End of Topic Test - The Church

1.3.3Grade 9 - Medieval England

2Early Modern England, 1500-1700

2.1Changing Definitions of Crime

2.1.1Early Modern Society

2.1.2Crime in the Early Modern Period

2.1.3End of Topic Test - Early Modern Crime

2.2Nature of Law Enforcement & Punishment

2.2.1Punishments in Early Modern Society

2.2.2Law Enforcement in Early Modern Society

2.2.3End of Topic Test - Early Modern Law Enforcement

2.2.4Grade 9 - Early Modern England

2.3Case Studies From 1500-1700

2.3.1Key Individuals

2.3.2End of Topic Test - Case Studies 1500-1700

2.3.3Grade 9 - Case Studies From 1500-1700

318th & 19th Century Britain

3.1Changing Definition of Crime in Industrial Britain

3.1.1Society in Industrial Britain

3.1.2Crime in Industrial Britain

3.1.3End of Topic Test - Crime in Industrial Britain

3.2Nature of Law Enforcement & Punishment

3.2.1Punishment in Industrial Society

3.2.2Punishment in Industrial Society 2

3.2.3Policing in the Industrial Period

3.2.4End of Topic Test - Punishment

3.3Case Studies From 1700-1900

3.3.1Changes to the Prison System

3.3.2End of Topic Test - Case Studies From 1700-1900

3.3.3Grade 9 - 18th & 19th Century

4Modern Britain, 1900-Present

4.1Changing Definition of Crime in Modern Britain

4.1.1Society in Modern Britain

4.1.2Crime in Modern Britain

4.1.3End of Topic Test - Crime in Modern Britain

4.2Nature of Law Enforcement & Punishment

4.2.1Punishment in Modern Britain

4.2.2Attitudes Towards Punishment

4.2.3Capital Punishment

4.2.4End of Topic Test - Punishment in Modern Britain

4.2.5Grade 9 - Modern Britain

4.3Case Studies 1900-2000

4.3.1Modern Britain Case Studies

4.3.2End of Topic Test - Modern Britain Case Studies

4.3.3Grade 9 - Case Studies 1900-2000

5Whitechapel Local Study

5.1The Geographical Area & Living Conditions

5.1.1Accommodation in Whitechapel

5.1.2Living Conditions

5.1.3End of Topic Test - Whitechapel Local Study

5.2The People of Whitechapel

5.2.1Alcohol & Immigration

5.2.2Prostitution

5.2.3Racial Tensions

5.2.4End of Topic Test - The People of Whitechapel

5.2.5Grade 9 - Whitechapel

5.3Policing in Whitechapel

5.3.1The Police Force in Whitechapel

5.3.2Jack the Ripper

5.3.3Challenges Facing the Police

5.3.4End of Topic Test - Policing in Whitechapel

5.3.5Grade 9 - Policing Whitechapel

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