Crime in London

Student guest page, John Kendall, University of Massachusetts Boston

In the 17th and 18th Century a small number of men held a large majority of the political power in England. The laboring pour of the country had little representation and were the object of abundant criminal legislation. The lack of opportunity for the lower classes of England led to widespread crime with the wealthy often being the target. The dark alleys, tall buildings and nearly constant fog made London a criminal’s paradise. Law enforcement was almost non-existent and crimes of all types were commonplace throughout the city.

In the sixteenth and early seventeenth century there was no organized police force in England. The only public police were wealthy parish holders who would take turns as constables. The constable would often work without pay and would not be asked to do preventive or detective work. The constable’s most important duties were collecting taxes and transporting criminals to the courthouse or other prisons. Although they had very little power constables were forced to pursue any crimes that were presented to them. Unfortunately for the victims, they were often corrupt and rarely eager to do true police work.

Thief takers were private citizens who would make their money by bringing criminals to justice. They would then be paid by the victim or the courts for their efforts. The lack of proper oversight of the thief takers led to the corruption that was also seen by constables. Jonathan Wild was a well known thief taker who was hanged for being in league with the criminals that he was sending to trial.

If a private citizen was the victim of a crime he would first ask the constable for assistance. The private citizen would then have to pay for the prosecution and organize the trial almost completely by themselves. If the victim was wealthy enough to do all of this he could then get the defendant before a jury. The defendant would almost always be denied legal counsel because the burden of proof was on the prosecution. The prisoner would then be asked to provide a written statement of his innocence before the trial. This would be read to the jury, which left the poor and ignorant with virtually no defense. Fortunately for them, the jury would often acquit or reduce the charges facing the accused because of how severe the penalties were. Even seemingly minor crimes would be punished by death at this time. The cost of trials along with merciful juries made it difficult for the victims of crimes to achieve justice. This created a perfect place for criminals to do their business.

Pickpockets were common in cities throughout England and many of them mastered the art. Men and women would regularly dress in upper-class attire, looking clean and sophisticated. These thieves would be able to interact with the well-to-do and steal their money without anyone knowing a thing. These high-end pickpockets had many less sophisticated counterparts.

Highwaymen were criminals who would ride on horseback and terrorize the people they met while on the road. They would hold them at gunpoint and force their victims to hand over all of their valuables. They would then ride off to safety with little chance of ever being caught.

Footpads were the lowest and deadliest of the thieving criminal classes. There were countless occurrences of lower and upper class people running into a footpad on the streets of London. These people were often killed for only a few schillings. Anyone could be a target of these desperate and brutal criminals.

Prostitution was common throughout England in the 17th century. In port cities such as London there were sailors shipping in and out every day. This created a large clientele that had money available to them. Prostitution became one of the few professions in which a woman could make a good living. The money may have been good, but the lifestyle certainly left much to be desired. Sexually transmitted diseases were commonplace and drunken sailors often became violent. This did not detract some women though. There were many young ladies who desired independence and refused to work the endless hours of manual labor that countless women of the time were subject to. Although many people looked down upon prostitution it was a fairly accepted practice until recently.

London became a center of trade in the 17th century, which led to numerous new opportunities for crime. The prices of goods in London were relatively cheap, allowing for the middle and lower classes to purchase these items. This led to a massive increase in the number and types of goods that were in an around London. This gave criminals the opportunity to steal at every corner. The more advanced criminals would steal directly from ships and throughout the seventeenth century river piracy and dock related crimes soared. There were also opportunities to steal from the cities countless shops, and shoplifters were able to pilfer from the open stalls that sold clothing, jewelry and fabric. Londoners who were able to buy a product before it was stolen did not fair any better than the distributors and shops themselves. Pickpockets were everywhere and roamed the sections of the city that were set aside for trade, commerce and law.

Criminals in London were assisted at every turn. Citizens who worked in lodging, catering and transport would help thieves find the wealthiest targets. They would also provide shelter and a market to sell stolen goods. Innkeepers would even infiltrate a group of travelers and guide them right into the hands of a robber. The criminal underworld grew so rapidly that by the end of the seventeenth century thieves had headquarters, divisions and ranks.

The Bloody Code-

In the late 17th century the number of crimes that carried the death penalty tripled from fifty to nearly one-hundred and sixty. These new laws were called the “Bloody Code.” Hanging was a common penalty for people who stole from shipwrecks, stole anything worth as little as 5 schillings or simply cut down a small tree. The wealthy elite of England controlled the laws and believed that protecting property was of the utmost importance. This was likely due to the fact that they owned all of the property. The lack of police forced the leaders of England to attempt to place fear in criminals and execution was the only way they knew how. This led to harsh punishments for minor crimes.

Punishment

Painful physical punishments were the norm in England at this time. Whipping and branding were often used to punish people for minor crimes. Hangings took place in Tyburn, a village in Middlesex County, where as many as twenty-four people were sometimes hanged simultaneously. These hangings were social events and attracted huge crowds that grew so large that the village built viewing stands and charged fees for their use. The stands eventually collapsed, killing a townsman.

The most brutal punishment was hanging, drawing and quartering. This would begin with the criminal being dragged on a wooden frame to the place of the execution. The prisoner would then be hung by a rope until he was nearly dead. They would end the punishment by beheading the criminal and then dividing the body into four parts (quartering).

There were also shaming punishments such as the stocks and the pillory. The stocks consisted of large, hinged, wooden boards. The criminal’s legs or wrists would then be locked to the stocks. The pillory was similar, but often more painful because the person would be forced to stand while their arms and neck are fixed to a pole. People in the stocks or pillory would often be placed in public and ridiculed by passers by. Eventually, fines and prison became more common than these treacherous punishments.

 

 

Works Cited

Crime and Punishment. The National Archives http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/education/candp/punishment/g06/g06cs1s2.htm

Eighteenth Century London- Its Daily Life and Hazards
http://forums.canadiancontent.net/history/48176-18th-century-london-its-daily.html
Hay, Douglas. Crime and Justice in Eighteenth- and Nineteenth-Century England Crime and Justice, Vol. 2, (1980), pp. 45-84 Published by: The University of Chicago Press
McMullan, John L. Criminal Organization in Sixteenth and Seventeenth Century London Social Problems, Vol. 29, No. 3 (Feb., 1982), pp. 311-323 Published by: University of California Press on behalf of the Society for the Study of Social Problems
Port Cities-London. Prostitution in Maritime London http://www.portcities.org.uk/london

 

 

 

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