--- title: "Crime & Punishment" description: "Justice in medieval England: sheriffs, trial by ordeal and trial by combat, stocks and the pillory, prisons, and differences from courts in England today" canonical: https://lightmysky.com/learn/history/crime-and-punishment-mt_3tQXH9GwIa source: https://lightmysky.com/learn/history/crime-and-punishment-mt_3tQXH9GwIa.md retrieved: 2026-11-12 --- > **Agent view.** This is the Markdown twin of the page, for tools and assistants. > When to use this site, and the call that answers each job: https://lightmysky.com/agent-instructions.md > API description (OpenAPI 3.1): https://lightmysky.com/openapi.json · Authentication: https://lightmysky.com/auth.md > Pricing: https://lightmysky.com/pricing.md · Catalog: https://lightmysky.com/llms.txt · Full catalog: https://lightmysky.com/llms-full.txt > Every machine-readable file on this domain: https://lightmysky.com/.well-known/ai-catalog.json > Ask for Markdown with `Accept: text/markdown`, a `.md` address, or `?mode=agent`. # Crime & Punishment Justice in medieval England: sheriffs, trial by ordeal and trial by combat, stocks and the pillory, prisons, and differences from courts in England today Subject: History · Area: Medieval Times · Ages 9 to 11 Page: https://lightmysky.com/learn/history/crime-and-punishment-mt_3tQXH9GwIa ## Ready when they can - Describe trial by ordeal and trial by combat as methods once used to decide guilt in medieval England - Name at least two punishments used in medieval England and explain what they involved - Compare one aspect of medieval justice with courts in England today ## Lesson: Crime and Punishment in Medieval England You have learned about kings and lords. In medieval England, the sheriff was the king's county officer and helped keep order. Local people helped too. Courts could hear witnesses. Some also used ordeals or combat. Methods varied and changed over time. In some ordeals, the accused carried hot iron or took a stone from boiling water. A priest checked the wound after three days. Clean healing was taken as God's sign of innocence. In trial by combat, two sides fought, sometimes through fighters representing them. The court accepted the winning side as right. These tests did not prove what had happened. Never try these tests. *(drawing: In this made-up case, Wat is accused of stealing a sheep. A priest judges his wound to be healing cleanly, so the court declares him innocent.)* Stocks held a person's feet in wood. A pillory held the head and hands. Both were public punishments meant to shame people. Courts also used fines, payments of money. Prisons held people, often while they waited for trial. A castle prison might be called a dungeon. Punishments varied with the crime, the court and the period. *(drawing: A verdict is the court's decision. An accusation did not always lead to a guilty verdict or a punishment.)* Courts in England today judge cases using evidence. They may hear witnesses, but never decide guilt by ordeal or combat. Medieval courts could hear witnesses too. To compare fairness, also consider a punishment's effects. A fine is a payment of money. The same fine can be harder for a poor person to afford than for a wealthy person. **Recap.** Some medieval English courts used ordeals or combat. Stocks and pillories were public punishments. Courts in England today decide guilt using evidence, not those tests. *This lesson, its questions, worked answers and flashcards were written for this dataset.* ## Practice 8 questions on this page, each with its working shown. ## Needs first - [Medieval Pyramid of Power](https://lightmysky.com/learn/history/medieval-pyramid-of-power-mt_bjlY5TE1y-) ## Optional connections - [Robin Hood & King Arthur](https://lightmysky.com/learn/history/robin-hood-and-king-arthur-mt_0FYFiLTqx4) - [The Medieval Church](https://lightmysky.com/learn/history/the-medieval-church-mt_LuwHnQItF_) ## Opens up - [Courts, judges and a fair trial](https://lightmysky.com/learn/civics-and-economics/courts-judges-and-a-fair-trial-mt_jJF6pQc7a6)