History Extra podcast Bandits & blasphemers: crime in 17th century Scotland
Oct 12, 2025
Allan Kennedy, a Scottish history lecturer and author, dives into the gritty world of 17th-century Scotland, revealing how crime reflected societal values. He explains the unique legal landscape shaped by Presbyterianism and discusses the motivations behind common crimes like homicide and robbery. Kennedy contrasts the public perception of criminals with the realities drawn from court records and highlights notorious cases like that of Thomas Aikenhead. He also addresses the specific challenges faced by women, often prosecuted for witchcraft and infanticide.
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Crime As Window Into Society
- Crime reveals a society's ordering assumptions and moral boundaries.
- Studying crime helps reconstruct how communities enforce beliefs and acceptable behaviour.
Distinct Scottish Context
- Late 17th-century Scotland had its own legal system and a powerful Presbyterian church.
- Religion and distinct institutions made Scottish responses to crime distinctive from England's.
Crime Framed As Sin
- Early modern Scots linked crime closely to sin and divine law alongside statute.
- Crime was treated as a class of sin signalling an irredeemably lost soul.
