Sheriffs, Judges, and Juries

England had no police force in the Middle Ages. Instead, all the peasants had to join a tithing. This was a group of men who made sure that their neighbours behaved. If there was a crime, the tithing had to say who had done it. If they did not, they were all punished.

Also, when a crime took place, all the men in a town or village had to join the hue and cry. This meant that they were supposed to rush out and chase the suspect. If they caught him, they handed him over to the sheriff. Of course, the suspect often got away.

The sheriff was the king's man in each county. One of his jobs was to catch criminals and put them in prison. He kept them there until the king's judges arrived on their tour of the country.

The judges were told what crimes had taken place. Then a jury said who had committed the crimes, if they knew. If the accused man or woman confessed, he or she was sentenced. If not, he or she went to trial by ordeal.

Walter Robson: Medieval Britain; Oxford University Press, 1991/2000, page 91