Crime and punishment in 18th- and 19th-century Britain - EdexcelCrimes against authority, c.1700-c.1900

• During the years c.1700 to c.1900, the authorities were more worried about activities that threatened landowners and employers.
• They no longer feared heresy and witchcraft, as religious and supernatural beliefs declined and were replaced by scientific understanding.

Decline of witchcraft

The religious upheaval that had dominated the years c.1500 to c.1700 had passed and the last execution for heresy was in 1612. During the 18th and 19th centuries, most educated people no longer believed in witchcraft allegations. The Witchcraft Act was repealed in 1736, which decriminalised witchcraft as a capital crime. It was now mostly regarded as a crime of deception carried out by confidence artists.

The Tolpuddle Martyrs

The French Revolution

The French Revolution took place in 1789. The French monarchy was overthrown and members of the ruling class were guillotined.

• As a result, the British government feared that revolution led by the working classes would follow and be successful in Britain too.
• In the early 19th century, there were further uprisings in France.
• British landowners and politicians saw every protest as a potential threat to their power. They feared that the start of a similar revolution would destabilise their place in society.
• This led them to punish protest harshly.

The government was concerned about the Grand National Consolidated Trades Union, which aimed to bring workers together to improve their conditions. It was not illegal to belong to a trade union. However, employers felt threatened by workers joining to demand better pay and conditions.

The labourers' requests

The story of the Tolpuddle Martyrs took place in a Dorset village called Tolpuddle.

• Local labourers, led by George Loveless, asked their employers to increase their wage after it had been cut several times.
• Their wage was six shillings a week when farm labourers earned ten shilling a week on average.
• The farm owners refused and cut their wages further.

Secret oaths

In 1833, the labourers set up a union called the Friendly Society of Agricultural Labourers. Each man took a secret oath to support the union. However, the farm owners found out and were determined to break the union.

The punishment

George Loveless and the other members of the union were arrested and sentenced to seven years’ transportation to Australia.

• This sentence was the harshest available to the judge and was designed to deter others from joining unions.
• The punishment worried members of the Grand National Consolidated Trades Union, which broke up.
• Landowners and employers in Britain were happy with this outcome.
• However, the punishment given to the men of Tolpuddle was unpopular among the people of Britain.
• The men were seen as martyrs for union rights and a campaign was organised against their unfair punishment.
• A meeting was held in London and 100,000 people attended.
• A petition was written demanding the martyrs’ release, and it was signed by 200,000 people. However, Lord Melbourne, the Home Secretary, refused to accept it.
• After continued public pressure and protest, in 1836, the Tolpuddle Martyrs were granted a pardon from the government. Two years later, they returned to Britain.