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[ Graphical: Channel4 Homepage ]
Large numbers of people who had migrated to the cities were now cut off from the support of their families and communities, so when there was no work, they had no source of income. Many of them resorted to crime simply in order to survive. And as crime spiralled, property owners started to panic, and judicial penalties were made harsher until they were out of all proportion to the offences they were supposed to punish.
In 1689, for example, there were 50 crimes that could incur the death penalty. The Waltham Black Act of 1723 created 50 new capital offences to do with poaching and the violation of other game laws. By 1810, there were a total of 222 capital offences in England (Scotland had only 16). You could now be hanged for, among many other things, pickpocketing more than 1 shilling (5p), cutting hop binds and sending threatening letters.
However, this vicious criminal code didn't deter criminals because most of those who were breaking the law only did so when they had no alternative.