Crime and the Law in Victorian England: A Thematic Timeline

May 30, 2010
Kaye Jones

A Victorian Policeman - E2BN

A thematic timeline of some of the most important pieces of criminal legislation in Victorian England.

By the time of Victoria's accession to the throne in 1837, England had swept away much of its Bloody Code and had taken the first steps in establishing a national police force.

Throughout the period, there were many important pieces of legislation enacted in the fight against crime and this article will consider some of the most significant.

The Police in Victorian England

1842:

The first detectives set up at Scotland Yard, London.

1856:

County Borough Police Act: all counties and boroughs had to have their own police force. This was particularly important as, previous to 1856, many rural counties had failed to set up a police force due to the high cost.

1870:

Police uniform introduced, including the helmet.

Types of Punishment in Victorian England

1841:

Abolition of the death penalty for the crime of rape. This meant that only murder and treason remained as capital crimes.

1852:

Women no longer allowed to be transported as a punishment for their crime.

1853:

Penal Servitude Act: redefined prison from a place where convicts awaited trial into a punishment which included hard labour.

1854:

Young Offenders Act: first Reformatory Schools set up for children under the age of 16.

1872:

Stocks are no longer used as a form of punishment.

Prisons in Victorian England

1865:

Prisons Act: the government laid down strict rules for the running of prisons and took back much of the control of the local authorities and justices.

1867:

Those on trial for a felony now allowed to call their own witnesses.

1868:

Public executions became illegal. From now on, an execution could only take place within the grounds of a prison. Transportation ends as a punishment for men.

1877:

All prisons now under control of the Home Office. The CID is set up.

1898:

Prisons Act: made big changes to prison labour, most notably the abolition of the crank and tread wheel.

Fighting Crime in Victorian England

1871:

Prevention of Crime Act: introduction of compulsory photographing of all prisoners. Also introduced the first register of convicted criminals.

1901:

Technique of finger-printing first used.

Victorian Crime and Punishment: Change Over Time

This is by no means an exhaustive list of every piece of criminal legislation enacted during the Victorian period. It does, however, illustrate the changing attitudes and ideas to both crime prevention and punishment, coupled with an increasingly centralised system. It also witnessed the end of transportation and the use of public forms of punishment, such as the stocks and public execution. The introduction of a national police force is one of the Victorian's most important criminal legacies; patrolling bobbies weren't just a visual deterrent but proof of the Victorian's commitment to combating crime.