c1000–c1500: Crime & Punishment in Medieval England (Edexcel GCSE History: The Thematic & Historic Environment (Paper 1))

Forest Laws made poaching a less serious crime in Norman England.

Forest Laws made poaching a more serious crime in Norman England.

Forest Laws made poaching legal in Norman England.

Forest Laws made poaching illegal in Norman England.

The Normans continued to use the Anglo-Saxon shire reeves.

The Normans continue to use Church and Manor courts from the Anglo-Saxon period.

The Normans continued to use trial by ordeal and trial by jury from the Anglo-Saxon period.

The Normans continued to use foresters used by the Anglo-Saxons to enforce Forest Laws.

Class determined what method of corporal punishment someone received.

Class determined how much money a person would be fined in the Saxon Wergild.

Class determined how much money a person would be fined in the murdrum fine.

Class determined what method of punishment was given to someone who broke the Forest Laws.

It strengthened the Church’s role in the criminal system in medieval England.

It caused people to protest the monarchy to make women equal to men under the law.

The Church started to lose its ability to offer protection, as sanctuary ended in 1536.

It caused more people to be able to read and write, as only those who could read a verse from Psalm 51 could claim the benefit of clergy.

It was against the law throughout the medieval period, but people in society didn’t disagree with it, as people did it to survive.

It was against the law throughout the medieval period, but it was a law against society as they killed animals belonging to the local community.

It was against the law throughout the medieval period, but people in society didn’t disagree with it because they only killed rabbits.

It was against the law throughout the medieval period, but it helped to maintain a low animal population of animals which were considered vermin, such as dear.

The Normans considered Anglo-Saxon punishments as harsh and changed them, such as the blood feud.

The Normans needed more money to pay for the invasion, so more fines were introduced as punishment in the medieval period.

Anglo-Saxons were hostile to the Norman takeover of 1066 and rebelled against the Normans, which led to a change in punishments.

The Normans removed the Anglo-Saxon idea of a prison as they did not work.

The local community were significant as they worked closely with the sheriffs who were mainly responsible for law enforcement in the medieval period.

The local community were significant as they were responsible for protecting the noble class, as most laws were created to protect the wealthy.

The local community was responsible for deciding the punishment of criminals in medieval England.

The local community was responsible for reporting crimes, organising tithings, the hue and cry and helping to enforce justice, as there were no professional forces.

Clergy were no longer able to claim sanctuary in churches, restricting their rights.

Clergy accused of serious crimes were to be tried in secular courts, reducing the Church’s legal autonomy.

The Constitutions of Clarendon abolished Church courts entirely, ending their role in law enforcement.

The Church was required to follow secular laws in all matters, including minor crimes.

Church courts completely stopped trying moral crimes and handed them to secular courts.

The Church introduced new forms of trial by ordeal to replace the older, abolished ones.

Only secular courts were allowed to perform trial by ordeal after the Church stopped supporting it.

Trial by jury became more common, replacing the older system where God's judgment decided the guilt.

It was meant to protect Normans by making the murder of a Norman more serious than that of an Anglo-Saxon.

It made all murders punishable by death, regardless of the victim's identity.

It applied to all crimes, not just murder, and helped reduce crime across England.

It abolished the death penalty for murder and replaced it with fines.