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Question: “There were two somewhat distinct criminal underworlds in early modern England: That of wayfaring vagabonds and that of urban-based thieves.” Discuss.
Answer: In early modern England there was clearly a problem with crime, although a lot of it was petty theft. There was also a fair amount of organised crime, the more serious mainly in urban areas. Historians have put the high rate of theft down to the ‘rhythms of the pre-industrial economy’ [1] as many people could only be provided with employment for a couple of months in the harvest season and would struggle to find any employment in the non harvest months. These long periods of un-employment made unskilled labours of the working class population search for other means to supplement their income, many turned to petty theft or begging while a few opted for a life of crime and, some were urban based thieves others were wayfaring vagabonds moving from town to town....(short extract)
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- Subject: Criminology
- Course: British Economic and Social History
- Level: Degree
- Year: 1st
- Mark: 65%
- Words: 1361
- Date submitted: May 22, 2009
- Date written: Not available
- References: Yes
- Document type: Essay*
- Essay ID: 1657
