Common Crimes in the Medieval Era (WJEC Eduqas GCSE History): Revision Note

How did the Norman Conquest change ideas about crime in Medieval England? -Summary 

The Norman Conquest of 1066 marked a turning point in the development of crime and punishment in England and Wales. William I introduced new laws to secure his control over his kingdom and protect Norman interests. Crimes such as rebellion or disobedience to royal authority were now seen as crimes against the King’s Peace, rather than individual victims. This reflected the growing power of the monarchy in defining what was considered criminal.

However, not all crimes changed. Theft, assault, and poaching remained common, showing continuity in everyday criminal behaviour. Although the Normans made laws stricter, particularly through measures like the Forest Laws, the attitudes of ordinary people towards social crimes, such as poaching, often remained the same. The period highlights how conquest and authority reshaped the law, while many traditional crimes continued largely unchanged.

Common Crimes in the Medieval Era

Crimes in Anglo-Saxon England 

• There were three categories of crime in Anglo-Saxon England:

  • Crimes against the person

  • Crimes against property

  • Crimes against authority 

Crimes against the person

• They included insulting a neighbour, public disorder, assault, rape, and murder 

• The type of crimes varied in seriousness from assault, which was considered the least serious, to murder, which was considered the most serious

• These generally only made up a small number of cases

Crimes against property

• These crimes were by far the most common

• They included selling poor-quality goods, petty theft, counterfeiting coins, poaching, and arson 

• Theft was the most common crime 

• Like crimes against the person, they also varied in seriousness

• Petty theft, though it accounted for most crimes against property, was not regarded as very serious

• Arson was very serious

Crimes against authority 

• These crimes were all seen as extremely serious

• They included betraying your lord, rebellion, and treason 

Crimes in Norman England 

• In 1066, the Norman Conquest took place

  • William, Duke of Normandy, invaded England and Wales

  • William defeated Harold II at the Battle of Hastings

  • William became King William I of England

• The Anglo-Saxon era in England ended

• The Norman era in England began

• Upon becoming king, William I faced opposition from many Anglo-Saxons 

• As rebellions increased, William I set out to assert his royal authority and control over the conquered population

• King William I made certain existing crimes more serious

Murdrum Law

• King William introduced the murdrum law

  • This law applied when an Anglo-Saxon murdered a Norman

  • In such an event, the people in the hundred where the body was found had five days to capture the murderer

  • If they failed, they had to collectively pay a large fine

  • This law made the murder of a Norman a more serious crime than the murder of an Anglo-Saxon

Forest Laws

• King William also introduced the Forest Laws

  • These created hunting grounds for William I, the Norman nobility, and those who purchased hunting rights

  • Around 30% of England became a ‘royal forest’

  • They were unpopular as people believed that they were unfair, as it had been legal to graze animals and cut down trees on common land, but they were made illegal in the Norman era 

• Poaching had become a more serious crime in the Norman era due to the Forest Laws 

  • This is known by historians as a ‘social crime’

    • Many villagers were willing to commit it themselves

    • Poachers who were caught would often go unpunished, as villagers generally turned a blind eye to it

Crimes in Later Medieval England 

• As the period continued, England faced many other challenges and new crimes 

• After the Black Death, the following crimes became more common

  • Vagrancy 

    • The Black Death destroyed towns and villages, leaving people looking for work 

  • Robbery 

    • Outlaw gangs would hide in forests or deserted villages and rob from nearby villages or travellers on the road 

    • For example, the Folville Gang committed their first robbery in 1326

• Crimes against authority became more prominent as more rebellions occurred. Including: 

  • The Peasants’ Revolt in 1381

    • Peasants rebelled against Richard II’s new Poll Tax

  • The Jack Cade’s Revolt in 1450

    • Men protested against how England was being governed during the Hundred Years’ War 

  • The Cornish Rebellion in 1497 

    • An attempt to overthrow King Henry VII

• Additionally, treason was classified as defying authority, not just the king 

  • This included a husband, who was the head of a family 

    • In the 1351 Treason Act, a wife who killed her husband was considered to have committed treason 

• Individuals were challenging the teachings of the Catholic Church and committing the crime of heresy 

  • The Lollards, in the 15th century,  challenged the Church as they wanted to read the Bible in English