Syllabus Edition
First teaching 2024
First exams 2026
The Types of Criminal Activity in Early Modern England (Edexcel GCSE History)
Revision Note
The Types of Criminal Activity in Early Modern England - Timeline & Summary
Huge social changes created tensions and divisions in early modern society. Many landowners and smugglers became wealthier, while farmers and vagabonds became poorer. Feudalism declined, while urbanisation increased. This led to more crimes against the person and against property, as many struggled to survive. |
Social and Religious Changes in Early Modern England
Social changes
Farming became more efficient
Land enclosure increased
This meant that all farmland, including common land, was fully used
By 1700, most of the country’s land was enclosed
What was enclosure?
The population increased
Towns and cities expanded
Trade flourished
More people moved to urban areas to look for work
Social Challenges in Early Modern England
Religious changes
The English Reformation began with Henry VIII, who
Broke away from the authority of the Roman Catholic Church
Became the head of the Church of England
It was unpopular with the mostly Catholic population
The following years were full of religious confusion, unrest and extremism
England’s official religion swung back and forth between Catholicism and Protestantism
This depended on the religious beliefs of the different monarchs:
What Activities Were Considered Crimes in Early Modern England?
Medieval crimes were still considered crimes in the early modern era
Important social and religious changes led to the creation of some ‘new’ crimes
Vagabondage
Also known as vagrancy
Became a crime as a result of pressure the general population put on the government
Vagabonds often wandered in search of work
This made them strangers to the community
Many relied on begging and charity to survive
The settled population hated, feared and resented them
Community members shared pamphlets listing the different types of vagabonds:
The number of vagabonds increased in the 15th and 16th centuries
There were roughly 30,000 vagabonds in the Tudor era
Why did vagabondage increase in early modern England?
In the reign of Elizabeth I, the law split vagabonds into two categories:
‘Deserving’
Elderly
Disabled
‘Undeserving’
Able-bodied
Fit for work
Smuggling
Dramatically increased in the 16th and 17th centuries
English explorers started to discover more of the New World
They returned to England with luxury goods
They wanted to make their own money from these goods
They sold them without paying import taxes
Like poaching, smuggling was what historians call a ‘social’ crime
Many did not view it as threatening or serious
They were happy to buy cheaper goods from smugglers
This made smuggling very difficult to enforce
Witchcraft
In the medieval era, witchcraft was
A minor crime
Tried in church courts
In the early modern era, witchcraft became
A very serious crime
Tried in secular courts
Why did witchcraft accusations increase in early modern England?
Religious reasons | Social reasons | Economic reasons |
|---|---|---|
By the late 1500s, the influence of Puritanism was growing | More and more vagabonds came to towns and cities | People faced many economic hardships throughout this period |
Preachers taught that the Devil was tempting good Christians away from God | The settled population, especially wealthy people, did not trust vagabonds | These included poor harvests and the death of livestock |
People became very fearful of witches’ ‘harmful magic’ | Vagabonds were often accused of being witches | Witches were often scapegoated for these events |
Why did Crimes Against the Person Increase in Early Modern England?
Urbanisation led to an increase in crimes against the person
Vagabonds started to move to towns and cities
Many committed crimes like assault and murder
Urban areas became a lot more busy
This made it easy for street criminals to avoid being seen or caught
Criminals had greater anonymity
Why did Crimes Against Property Increase in Early Modern England?
Increased unemployment and poverty led to an increase in crimes against property
People started to commit 'survival' crimes
What are survival crimes?
Why did Crimes Against Authority Increase in Early Modern England?
Religious and political changes led to an increase in crimes against authority
Heresy
Increased after the English Reformation
Involved having the wrong religious beliefs at the wrong time
Important clergymen played a role in charging and judging cases
Treason
Increased due to there being more disputes about who should rule
Involved not accepting the monarch’s authority (political or religious)
Exam Tip
Be careful not to confuse heresy with treason.
Worked Example
Describe one feature of heresy in early modern England
2 marks
Answers:
Heresy increased after the English Reformation. (1) This is partly because England’s religion kept switching between Catholic and Protestant (1).
Exam Tip
This question previously asked students to describe two features of a given event. This question was out of four marks. However, as of 2025, Edexcel will split this question into two subsections, asking you to describe a feature of two different events. Each subsection is worth two marks.
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