Criminal Cases, Part 1

We've talked about death and destruction in war, and all sorts of dangerous and aggressive behavior that is not seen in modern day-to-day life. Law courts in the modern era are packed with daily transgressions of civil law and violations of community bonds. So were courts in London in the Middle Ages.The pillory was a common punishment, and not too harsh. It was a wooden frame that held the head and hands in place, sometimes raised up so that everyone could clearly see the malefactor. Cheating and fraud were often punished with the pillory, which made clear to the community whom they could not trust.Let's look at some crimes in 1382 that merited the pillory.A Dutchman named Henry Pot was "attached" to the pillory for sorcery and false accusation. He had promised that by sorcery he could determine who had stolen from Simon Gardiner a mazer cup (a drinking bowl made of hardwood). Henry performed a ritual and declared that Cristina Freman had stolen it. Cristina and her husband,…