Outlaws

Who were outlaws?

Throughout medieval times, crime and punishment in England featured people known as outlaws - those who lived outside of the law.

What were outlaws like?

Outlaws had 3 important traits:

• ❖ Outlaws were men who had broken the law.
• ❖ They then escaped from their trial or punishment and lived in remote areas, such as the forest.
• ❖ The female equivalent was known as a 'waived woman'.

How were outlaws treated?

There were 2 main ways of dealing with outlaws:

• ❖ Sometimes the shire reeve, or sheriff, was tasked with finding the outlaw.
• ❖ Anyone could assault, steal from or murder an outlaw without facing criminal charges.