The Hampshire Family Historian | Vol.49 No.1 | June 2022

Local Group Programmes

Forthcoming Meetings:

Crime and Punishment

June 13th July 11th

Colin Moretti

Members’ Evening – Problems and Successes

No meeting in August

August

Contact: Ann McKenzie, Tel: 07733 112975, E-mail: andover@hgs-online.org.uk

Andover Meetings are normally held on the second Thursday, September to July, commencing 7.30p.m. at The Fairground Hall, Weyhill, Andover SP11 0QN Reports by Richard Backhouse (March) Victorian crime, police and criminals – Antony Marr

Antony, a professional genealogist, was in the police force for 30 years and expertly qualified to provide this fascinating talk. (A handout was later provided listing useful websites and resources) Centuries ago, ‘justice’ came directly from the monarch. Over time, this became unworkable and so justice was dispensed more locally. ‘Common Law’ is not always written down whereas ‘Statute Law’ is brought about by Acts of Parliament. The 19th century brought about huge changes in the law as populations in towns and cities grew. There was a hierarchy of justice starting with the local justice of the peace (JP), the Petty Sessions, Quarter Sessions and the Assizes. These have been replaced (in the 1970s) by the magistrates’ courts and crown court. The Petty sessions expanded in 1828 to help ease the workload at the Quarter sessions. Local newspapers provide a rich and detailed source for genealogists as they reported minor offences and small legal items - like the transfer of pub licences. Quarter Sessions date back to the 14th century and were used for serious crime trials and local administration. The Assizes were courts that travelled on circuits. Cases were heard very soon after the crimes and punishments meted out thereafter. It may only have taken six weeks between a crime being committed and somebody’s execution. Public execution stopped in1868 - but the death sentence was only officially abolished in 1998! Sentences like hard labour included pointless tasks like walking a treadmill, cranking a lever, breaking stones and moving weights from one place to another - all designed to occupy, exercise and punish. Transportation, to Africa and the West Indies, was sometimes used as an alternative to execution, especially when the Empire was expanding. When we stopped shipping people to

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