Bygone Punishments

Old English punishments reveal how courts, churches and local authorities once enforced their power. William Andrews gathers historical accounts of these practices, moving from penalties involving death to public humiliation, imprisonment and compulsory penance. His preface explains that the volume grew from years of research and earlier articles, revised and expanded with additional chapters. The result is a collection of historical studies organised around particular penalties and customs.

A section on writers and book burning connects punishment with control over the printed word. Andrews describes licensing rules for London presses and recounts the treatment of authors such as Lilburne and Benjamin Keach, whose publications brought fines and exposure in the pillory. These examples give readers interested in British legal and social history specific cases through which to examine authority, religious conflict and freedom of expression. The subject includes harsh physical penalties, making this a sober account of older institutions and their human costs.