The Pattern of Crime in England 1660–1800

Long-Term Historical Trends in Violent Crime

“…These documents, in which the key information (e.g., the name and residence of the victim, the type of crime committed, and the jury's verdict) was recorded, include almost 3,000 homicide cases. From the mid-sixteenth century onward, comprehensive studies by Beattie (1974Beattie ( , 1986, Cockburn (1977Cockburn ( , 1991, and Sharpe (1983Sharpe ( , 1984 have traced the development of homicides indicted at the assize courts of several counties over extended periods of time.…”

“…Scientific enticements sometimes come in bunches, and Ted Robert Gurr (1981) took the issue one step further in an article in this series entitled ''Historical Trends in Violent Crime: A Critical Review of the Evidence.'' Besides the cluster of twenty homicide rates provided by Given (1977), he reviewed two studies that offered estimates for a few counties in Elizabethan England (Samaha 1974;Cockburn 1977) and a series of homicide indictments in Surrey for the period 1663-1802 (Beattie 1974). Gurr plotted the some thirty estimates between about 1200 and 1800 on a graph, added the London homicide rates for the modern period, and fitted an elegant S-shaped trend curve to the data points (see fig.…”

Heller, McDonald and Murder: Testing the More Guns, More Murder Thesis

“…64 Firearms were introduced into England in the 1400s and were in wide use by the 1500s, coinciding with a decline in the homicide rate to 15 per 100,000. 65 However, these early guns were predominately of the matchlock design. 66 This design featured a slow burning fuse held in a clamp at the end of a serpentine lever.…”

The revolt of the south‐west, 1800–1801: A study in English popular protest

“…It is possible that some recent authors, including Shelton and J. M. Beattie have overlooked this, though the point was made by Rude. 130 The precise occupations of the Modbury rioters have been ascertained from depositions, letters and memoranda on the disturbances and perpetrators. For example, the Rev.…”