Lesson 2

2 Crime and punishment in eighteenth- and nineteenth- century Britain: The nature of law enforcement and punishment Quiz: Pearson Edexcel History, Unit 1

20 questions

Written by Revision Ninja · Last reviewed 11 October 2026

In partnership with Revision Ninja

Lesson 2, Crime and punishment in eighteenth- and nineteenth- century Britain: The nature of law enforcement and punishment: 20 multiple choice questions for the Pearson Edexcel GCSE History (1HI0), Unit 1: Crime and punishment in Britain, c1000–present and Whitechapel, c1870-c1900: crime, policing and the inner city, written with Revision Ninja.

Host it live on the board and students join with a game code on their own devices, or revise alone with Free Play. The answers are revealed in the game.

Host this setFree Play

The 20 questions

  1. Which early investigator and magistrate ran the Bow Street Runners?

    • Henry Fielding
    • Robert Peel
    • John Howard
    • Elizabeth Fry

  2. In which year was the Metropolitan Police Force established in London?

    • 1829
    • 1878
    • 1842
    • 1718

  3. What does CID stand for in the development of British policing?

    • Criminal Investigation Department
    • Central Inquiry Division
    • Constabulary Intelligence Directorate
    • County Investigation District

  4. In which year did transportation of convicts to Australia end?

    • 1868
    • 1842
    • 1829
    • 1718

  5. Public executions in England were ended in which year?

    • 1834
    • 1842
    • 1829
    • 1868

  6. Which reformer campaigned for improvements in prisons in the late eighteenth century?

    • Robert Peel
    • Matthew Hopkins
    • John Howard
    • Thomas Sydenham

  7. Which reformer was known for her work with female prisoners at Newgate?

    • Elizabeth Fry
    • Mary Anning
    • Florence Nightingale
    • Emmeline Pankhurst

  8. In the nineteenth century, the purpose of punishment shifted toward reform and what else?

    • Deterrence
    • Harsh retribution
    • Capital elimination
    • Public spectacle

  9. What did the hiring of Bow Street runners in the 18th century help establish?

    • Professional detection
    • Military patrol
    • Prison reform
    • National policing

  10. What was a defining feature of the new police constable's duty in 1840?

    • Mounted patrol
    • Secret surveillance
    • Undercover stings
    • Fixed beat

  11. Which factor primarily drove the creation of organised police forces in the 19th century?

    • Religious conflict
    • Urban growth
    • Agricultural decline
    • Foreign invasion

  12. Under the Bloody Code, which type of crime carried the death penalty alongside murder?

    • Vagrancy offences
    • Political libel
    • Property crimes
    • Minor tax evasion

  13. In which year did transportation to Australia first begin?

    • 1842
    • 1788
    • 1718
    • 1868

  14. Which magistrate who ran the Bow Street office was blind?

    • Henry Fielding
    • John Howard
    • Robert Peel
    • John Fielding

  15. After which historical figure were London police nicknamed Peelers or Bobbies?

    • Richard Mayne
    • Charles Rowan
    • Robert Peel
    • William Pitt

  16. What physical labour punishment was introduced to Victorian prisons to provide hard labour?

    • Iron mask
    • Treadwheel
    • Pillory
    • The rack

  17. What older system of law enforcement did Robert Peel's new police replace in London?

    • Watchmen and constables
    • Military patrols
    • Manorial courts
    • Sheriff posses

  18. What change did Robert Peel make to the Bloody Code during the 1820s?

    • Abolished all prisons
    • Increased hanging rates
    • Introduced transportation
    • Reduced capital offences

  19. How did the early Metropolitan Police primarily patrol the streets of London?

    • By riverboat
    • On foot
    • In carriages
    • On horseback

  20. Which institutional change marked the nineteenth-century shift to professional policing?

    • Metropolitan Police creation
    • Trial by jury
    • Gallows dismantling
    • Prison hulks abolition

All Pearson Edexcel History quizzes