Prevention or punishment?

Crime prevention measures were taken seriously. In Leominster, by order of the Court Leet (1534), young people were not allowed to be out and about without permission after 10pm, under threat of imprisonment.

"It is orderyd by the xii men that no mans son nor wagyd sevnt shall walk in the strette after the owre of x of the Clok in the nyght, upon peyn of Ipsonment, unlesse that the father or the master will make for them a lawfull excuse." (Gainsford Blacklock, The Suppressed Benedictine Minster and other Ancient and Modern Institutions of the Borough of Leominster, 1897. (Leominster Folk Museum edition, published 1999, p. 187))

Not all criminal activity could be prevented, however, and the ingenuity in meting out punishment is illustrated in the following example, a case of forgery from 1535 which is an interesting exception to the general lack of information on outcome:

A John Bedo hired a William Blast to forge a document claiming to be a letter from the Commissioners of the Marches and got a James Watkyns to deliver this forged letter. Despite using an old seal to make the letter seem more authentic, they were caught and brought to justice. The punishment was carried out during the time of the market in Hereford, when the streets would have been full of people to watch and jeer and throw things. The two accomplices had to lead John Bedo through the streets of Hereford, whilst he was sitting on a horse back to front, wearing a large sign around his neck with the following message:

"This wear I for falsyfying the King's letter".

John Bedo was then led to the pillory, where James Watkyns and William Blast had to stand beside him for the duration of the market. Note that in this case also humiliation played a large part. During the night the three culprits were thrown into prison. (Hereford City Records, Miscellaneous Papers, 1535, III #7, Hereford Record Office)

[Original author: Toria Forsyth-Moser, 2003]