What was crime and punishment like in Anglo-Saxon times?

• The Anglo-Saxon period in Britain was from around 410AD to 1066AD.
• A lot of the population lived in small villages in the countryside and very few lived in towns. This meant that many people knew their neighbours well.
• Most people grew their own food and farmed the land where they lived.
• Children were considered adults at 10 years old!

• There wasn't a police force like we have today. Keeping law and order was the responsibility of everyone in the village.
• If someone was seen committing a crime then the witness could raise a hue and cry (shouting for help). Everyone who heard it was expected to help chase and capture the suspects.
• There was a system in place called Tithing in which a group of ten men were made responsible for each other’s behaviour. If they didn't, they would have to pay a fine.

• The church and local lords decided punishments.
• The Anglo-Saxons didn't have prisons. Most people found guilty of crimes were punished with fines.
• Some crimes, such as treason against the king, were so serious that they carried the death penalty.
• Regular offenders were punished very harshly. If they were found guilty of stealing more than once they might have their hands cut off.

• Weregild, which means blood price, was a system of fines where, if you injured someone, the victim received money.

• Before weregild was developed, early Saxon Kings allowed victims of crimes to punish criminals themselves.
• So, if someone was murdered, the family had the right to track down and kill the murderer. This obviously led to more violence.

In trial by ordeal, the accused would be made to perform a task that caused injury. If their wounds healed cleanly after 3 days then they would be considered to be innocent in the eyes of God.