Rogues, Thieves And the Rule of Law : The Problem Of Law Enforcement In North-East England, 1718-1820

Rogues, Thieves and the Rule of Law" is a large-scale study of crime, disorder and law enforcement in northern England in the early modern period. London was not the only city where female criminals were common and gangs were feared, nor was it the sole centre of industrial and political agitation. The north was an area of national significance which supplied the capital with its fuel and whose tendency to industrial insurgence commanded the attention of every 18th-century administration.; Arguing that much of the recent work on early modern crime has focused on London and its surrounding counties, which have wrongly been interpreted as typical of the whole country, this study, in contrast, seeks to place the metropolitan image within the wider context of regional realities. As such, it offers a significant antidote to the picture of excessive brutality associated with London and Tyburn, breaking new ground by encompassing crime in an entire region and at all levels of the judicial system. It uniquely reflects upon gender and crime, the development of transportation, the rise of imprisonment and the convergence of military and civil power, in an attempt to contain an assertive and riotous population in a region remote from central authority.; The north-east had a distinctively violent history before 1700 and retained some of its traditionally wild character in the 18th century. The growing contrasts between urban and rural districts provide a revealing backdrop to the different patterns of crime and official responses. In terms of punishments, the region swiftly followed national trends in transportation, but was pioneering in its early use of imprisonment. This study seeks to change the way we think about crime in early modern England. Book Cover......Page 1 Half-Title......Page 2 Title......Page 3 Copyright......Page 4 Contents......Page 5 Dedication......Page 7 Acknowledgements......Page 8 Glossary......Page 10 List of tables......Page 12 List of illustrations......Page 13 North-East England......Page 14 The past and the present......Page 16 Crimes, punishments: perspectives and uncertainties......Page 19 The state, the law and the locality......Page 21 The region and its people......Page 24 The regional character and the law......Page 32 Personnel and methods......Page 42 Reports and accusations......Page 45 Identifying the suspect......Page 49 Pursuit and prosecution......Page 52 Towards a national system......Page 58 CHAPTER THREE The patterns of crimes and punishments......Page 62 Varieties of crimes and misdemeanours in north-east England......Page 65 Theft and the courts......Page 75 The development of punishments in the eighteenth century......Page 83 Images of crime......Page 92 The realities of small-scale crime......Page 96 Networks, groups and gangs......Page 100 The “Faws” 1711–30......Page 101 William Brown and his family......Page 102 William Fall and the Clarkes 1752–67......Page 103 The Winter-Clark gang.......Page 106 Gateshead Fell-Bishop Auckland gang......Page 107 Did gangs exist?......Page 108 Historians and female criminality......Page 110 The world of goods......Page 112 Newcastle......Page 114 Means and opportunities......Page 118 Selling goods on......Page 122 Networking and networks......Page 123 Women and homicide......Page 125 Hanging......Page 130 Conclusion......Page 135 CHAPTER SIX Learning their lesson the use of public punishments......Page 136 Traditional punishments......Page 137 Whipping......Page 143 Executions......Page 149 Conclusion......Page 161 CHAPTER SEVEN Transportation......Page 164 Policies towards transportation......Page 165 “Cast for transportation”: the character of the transportees......Page 168 Shipped for the plantations: transportation arrangements in north-east England......Page 173 Returned from transportation......Page 175 Conclusion......Page 179 Imprisonment in the early modern period......Page 180 North-eastern houses of correction......Page 187 North-eastern prisoners......Page 194 The “protocol of riot”......Page 200 Riot......Page 203 Food riots......Page 205 Industrial “riots”......Page 207 Magistrates......Page 208 The rule of law......Page 212 Legal procedures: informations......Page 213 Arrests......Page 214 Rioters and the courts......Page 216 The politics of justice......Page 219 Conclusion......Page 220 Conclusion......Page 222 Notes......Page 226 Northumberland Record Office......Page 278 Newspapers and periodicals......Page 279 Bibliography......Page 280 Index......Page 300 Humanities Book Cover 1 Half-Title 2 Title 3 Copyright 4 Contents 5 Dedication 7 Acknowledgements 8 Glossary 10 List of tables 12 List of illustrations 13 North-East England 14 Introduction 16 The past and the present 16 Crimes, punishments: perspectives and uncertainties 19 The state, the law and the locality 21 CHAPTER ONE The character of north-east England 24 The region and its people 24 The regional character and the law 32 CHAPTER TWO Enforcing the law 42 Personnel and methods 42 Reports and accusations 45 Identifying the suspect 49 Pursuit and prosecution 52 Towards a national system 58 CHAPTER THREE The patterns of crimes and punishments 62 Varieties of crimes and misdemeanours in north-east England 65 Theft and the courts 75 The development of punishments in the eighteenth century 83 CHAPTER FOUR The social organization of crime 92 Images of crime 92 The realities of small-scale crime 96 Networks, groups and gangs 100 The “Faws” 1711–30 101 William Brown and his family 102 William Fall and the Clarkes 1752–67 103 The Winter-Clark gang. 106 Gateshead Fell-Bishop Auckland gang 107 Did gangs exist? 108 CHAPTER FIVE Common and unnatural crimes: women and north-east crime 110 Historians and female criminality 110 The world of goods 112 Newcastle 114 Means and opportunities 118 Selling goods on 122 Networking and networks 123 Women and homicide 125 Hanging 130 Conclusion 135 CHAPTER SIX Learning their lesson the use of public punishments 136 Traditional punishments 137 Whipping 143 Executions 149 Conclusion 161 CHAPTER SEVEN Transportation 164 Policies towards transportation 165 “Cast for transportation”: the character of the transportees 168 Shipped for the plantations: transportation arrangements in north-east England 173 Returned from transportation 175 Conclusion 179 CHAPTER EIGHT Correction and imprisonment 180 Imprisonment in the early modern period 180 North-eastern houses of correction 187 North-eastern prisoners 194 CHAPTER NINE Law and disorder 200 The “protocol of riot” 200 Riot 203 Food riots 205 Industrial “riots” 207 Magistrates 208 The rule of law 212 Legal procedures: informations 213 Arrests 214 Rioters and the courts 216 The politics of justice 219 Conclusion 220 Conclusion 222 Notes 226 Manuscript sources 278 British Library 278 Public Record Office 278 Durham County Record Office 278 Northumberland Record Office 278 Northumberland Record Office: Berwick 279 Tyne Wear Archive Service 279 Newspapers and periodicals 279 Bibliography 280 Index 300 A study of crime and law enforcement in the north-eastern counties between the Transportation Act of 1718 and the "Bloody Code" of the 1800s - the key period of debate in the history of English crime.