The Crimes of Poor Tudors
Many of the crimes committed by commoners, the poor Tudors, were through sheer desperation and abject poverty. The most common crimes were:
Theft
Cut purses
Begging
Poaching
Adultery
Debtors
Forgers
Fraud
Murder
Treason and Rebellion
Heresy
The Crimes of Poor Tudors
The punishments for above crimes were all very harsh. There were various forms of execution and even the minor punishments included amputation.
Theft - Theft for stealing anything over 5 pence resulted in hanging, even small crimes such as stealing birds eggs could result in the death sentence.
Poaching - Poaching at night resulted in the punishment by death, whereas poaching during the day time did not
Begging - Begging was a serious crime during the Tudor era. The Tudor government made begging a crime and therefore illegal and 'poor beggars' As their punishment 'poor beggars' would be beaten until they reached the stones that marked the town parish boundary. The beatings given as punishment were bloody and merciless and those who were caught continually begging could be sent to prison and even hanged as their punishment
Treason, Rebellion and Heresy - All such crimes resulted in a death sentence
The Punishments of Poor Tudors
The punishments for above crimes were all very harsh. There were various forms of execution and even the minor punishments included amputation.
Hanging
Burning at the stake
The Pillory and the Stocks
Public whipping
Branding with hot irons
Pressing with heavy stones
Ducking stools - especially for those women accused of witchcraft
Boiling in oil water or lead (usually reserved for poisoners )
Starvation
Cutting off various items of the anatomy - nose, hands, ears etc
The Gossip's Bridle or the Brank
The Drunkards Cloak
Click here for information regarding full details of Middle Ages Torture and Executions
The Punishments of Poor Tudors - Executions
The execution methods were by burned alive at the stake and being hung, drawn and quartered. Being burnt at the stake was a terrible death which was feared by everyone. Tudor Executioners sometimes showed mercy by placing gunpowder at the base of the stake which helped the victims to a less painful death. The only other relief from the excruciating pain was if the victim died of suffocation through smoke inhalation and lack of oxygen. The most dreadful punishment of being Hung, Drawn and Quartered was described by William Harrison as follows:
"The greatest and most grievous punishment used in England for such as offend against the State is drawing from the prison to the place of execution upon an hurdle or sled, where they are hanged till they be half dead, and then taken down, and quartered alive; after that, their members and bowels are cut from their bodies, and thrown into a fire, provided near hand and within their own sight, even for the same purpose."
Minor Crimes and Punishments of Poor Tudors
Minor crime and punishment in small Tudor towns were dealt with by the Justice of the Peace. Many crimes during the Tudor era were due to a crime committed and the law broken due to the desperate acts of the poor. Every town parish was responsible for the poor and unemployed within that parish. The Justice of the Peace for each Tudor town parish was allowed to collect a tax from the wealthy inhabitants. This was called the Poor Rate which was used to help the poor during the Tudor period.
