Seasonality and sheep-stealing: Wales, 1730-1830

摘要

In an earlier article in this Review, Osborne challenged the traditional assumption that seasonal fluctuations in sheep-stealing and other rural crimes simply reflected changes in economic activity and the employment opportunities of the labouring classes, arguing that other influences should be recognised. The aim of this paper is to examine these ideas in more depth. Drawing on the records of the Welsh Court of Great Sessions, the study considers how the nature of sheep-stealing changed with the seasons and the reasons for this. It shows that, although the pattern varied by occupational group, in aggregate there were three main seasonal peaks: during the winter, early-summer and mid-autumn. It is argued that, although these peaks were, indeed, influenced by employment opportunities, other factors, such as the ability to market stolen sheep and the intensity of shepherding, played a role too.