What were bounty hunters called in the medieval and Renaissance period?

Answer 1

I don't believe there were bounty hunters, as we have use of the term, in the Middle Ages or Renaissance.

If there was a price on someone's head, it was generally just an ordinary person who turned him in and collected the reward.

I can think of only one incident where someone was actually paid to find another, and that was in the reign of Edward III--his 'bounty hunter' wasn't very good, because he allowed his quarry to escape.

Remember, too, that there was no such thing as mass communication or any of the modern ways of tracing a person's whereabouts. If someone committed a crime in one area, a new life and identity could easily be established if he or she could get far enough away from the scene. Since this wasn't always a likelihood, the perpetrator usually paid for the crime in the locale where it was committed.

Answer 2

Don't believe there were any, people just snitched on each other. There is a GREAT article on this I think you would like. The web address is very long and if i try to type it here for you, it will be chopped off and you won't get whole address. You can go to Yahoo Search, enter, Medieval,criminals. When results pop up, look for "Medieval Justice Not So Medieval." The web site starts out..."Websitwtoolbox.com..."