Law Enforcement in Eighteenth & Nineteenth-Century Britain (Edexcel GCSE History)

Law Enforcement in Eighteenth- and Nineteenth-Century Britain - Timeline

Law Enforcement in Eighteenth- and Nineteenth-Century Britain - Summary

In the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, crime increased dramatically. This created the need for improved law enforcement. The public was initially concerned that police forces would limit their freedom. This changed when it became clear that the government’s laissez-faire approach to crime was not working. People began to accept that the government had a role to play in protecting them from criminals. This ultimately led to police forces being set up all over the country.

Many law enforcement roles from the early modern era continued to be used in this period. What changed was the development of more official forms of policing. This began in London with the Bow Street Runners, who eventually merged with the Metropolitan Police. The Met became more specialised when it introduced the Criminal Investigation Department(CID).

Continuity in Policing in Eighteenth- and Nineteenth-Century Britain

• The following roles remained in place in 18th and 19th-century policing:

  • Watchmen 

    • Still patrolled cities on foot at night 

    • Kept an eye on private property

    • The image below is of the most well-known watchman, Jonathan Wild. He famously operated on both sides of the law in London. He called himself the Thief-Taker General in 1718 but was hanged for his own crimes in 1725

• Parish constables 

  • Dealt with petty and minor crimes

• Soldiers 

  • Dealt with more serious crimes

  • Put down riots, large protests and rebellions

  • The government also used the army to deal with large smuggling gangs

Changes to Policing: The Bow Street Runners, 1749

The Fielding brothers

• The Fielding brothers were magistrates

• They wanted to put more men on the streets of London to deter crime

• They were among the first to bring an organised policing system to London

The Bow Street Runners

• The Bow Street Runners were established to tackle London’s huge crime wave

• Alongside patrolling London’s streets to deter crime, they also

  • Tracked down criminals and stolen property

  • Shared information on crimes and suspects with others

    • This marked the beginning of a crime intelligence network

  • Found evidence to bring criminals to justice

    • This has led some historians to call them the first modern ‘detectives’

• They were initially volunteers

• They then charged fees and collected rewards for their work

• Eventually, the government decided to pay them directly

The 1856 Police Act

• The 1856 Police Act made professional police forces compulsory nationwide

• The aim of this was to deter crime across the country

Table of responsibilities the 1856 Police Act gave to the government and police officers

The Establishment of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), 1878

• The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) was part of the Metropolitan Police

• Its establishment separated the police into 

  • Ordinary policeman, who patrolled the streets of London

  • Detectives, who investigated serious crimes by gathering evidence

    • This mostly came from interviews, witness statements and tips from informants