475 remained stable at between 25 and 50 up until the decade starting 1740. After this there are no figures available for Linköping until 1797. Härnösand experienced a temporary increase during the 1750s. Crimes against religious rules had increased in number but even crimes of violence, disorderly conduct and breaches of the peace had increased too. It is most probably the case that during that century an intensification of the campaign for better moral behaviour in towns was in progress. Later a decrease in the total number of crimes occurred, but it increased again after 1810. The crimes involved then were acts violating special statutes on the retailing of alcohol, the management of fire, hygiene etc. which were responsible for a notable part of the increase, together with a large number of crimes concerning law and order. Partly there was an increase in the ambitions of the magistrates concerning regularization, partly it seems as though drunkenness and other disturbances of the peace actually became more usual. The same explanation is valid to a greater extent in Linköping, where the hundred convictions per year during the decade of 1800— 1809 rose to nearly 300 during the 1830s. In Gullberg and Säbrå 10-20 persons were convicted per year up to and including the 1 740s. Then both curves point upwards, so that Gullberg is noted as having slightly less than 30 convictions and Säbrå as having circa 25 per year during the 1760s. The increase in Säbrå was evenly distributed between different types of crime, but crimes of a religious nature increased in particular. More categories of crime increased in Gullberg during the 1770s too, amongst others, crimes against property. The figures for all those convicted for all kinds of crimes stayed at a high level until 1839. In Gullberg the total number increased even more, so that during 1830-1839 there were approximately 40 per year. These increases occurred in several categories. Compared to the towns, however, the difference between the early part of the 18th century’s 10 to 20 per year, and 20 to 40 per year a century later, is relatively modest and is practically counterbalanced by the increase in population. The courts in rural areas had more criminal cases to deal with during the early part of the 19th century than their predecessors a hundred years earlier. Also, the legal processing of court records from hearings had seemingly become more detailed. Civil disputes had also increased compared to previous centuries. The work burden for judges and lay judges had grown steadily, even if some of the cases still could be handled quickly and as a matter of routine. This was the case to an even greater extent in the towns, in this case in Linköping in particular, where the number of cases increased per year approximately 15 times from the beginning of the 18th century until the 1830s. The officials of the town courts became busier, timewdse, than their predecessors. Lrom these rough figures we can discern certain trends. No unequivocal transition fromcrimes of dispute and order can be traced. In fact the percentage as well as the number of those convicted in relation to the population
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