Those of us who discover ancestors who may have dwelt in the confines of penal establishments might like to take comfort from the reasons why they committed the crimes which sent them there. A brief study of the workings of the enclosures of the commons in the 18th - 19th centuries show that the majority of people below the rank of landowning aristocrat were subject in varying degrees to the harsh withdrawal of their means of subsistence. They were often starving, despite which, the collecting of a few twigs from the landord's hedgerow was considered to be theft and they were frequently convicted of robbery for that and similar "offences". I wonder how the people of todays society would fare in such circumstances. Dave Pearsall - Dorridge

Hi David You only have to look in the papers or TV to see the level of crime nowadays , Looking back our ancestors only really stole for food , and if caught, look at the harsh sentences they received , many where whipped , sent to Australia for years , given hard labour , and for sheep or horse stealing they could be hanged , and woe betide them if they poached , We have far more crime today, than they did then , and ifs far more serious , murder was very rare , now days it hardly makes the papers , I think some of these yobs nowadays should have a taste of what happened to people years ago it would make them think twice Cheers Cassy Assistant Admin Black Country Potteries, and Wolverhampton Lists ----- Original Message ----- From: "DavidTP" <[email protected]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Monday, July 27, 2009 12:38 PM Subject: [Black Country] The causes of crime > Those of us who discover ancestors who may have dwelt in the confines of > penal establishments might like to take comfort from the reasons why they > committed the crimes which sent them there. A brief study of the workings > of the enclosures of the commons in the 18th - 19th centuries show that > the majority of people below the rank of landowning aristocrat were > subject in varying degrees to the harsh withdrawal of their means of > subsistence. They were often starving, despite which, the collecting of a > few twigs from the landord's hedgerow was considered to be theft and they > were frequently convicted of robbery for that and similar "offences". > I wonder how the people of todays society would fare in such > circumstances. > > Dave Pearsall - Dorridge > ------------------------------------- > The only List that specifically covers the whole of the Black Country. Run > by Black Country folk who were born and still live in the area. > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > [email protected] with the word 'unsubscribe' without > the quotes in the subject and the body of the message > -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- No virus found in this incoming message. Checked by AVG - www.avg.com Version: 8.5.392 / Virus Database: 270.13.31/2264 - Release Date: 07/26/09 11:07:00