Swanley History Group – September 2016 meeting
Policing, punishment and criminals in London during the 18th and 19th centuries were the topics of the September meeting of Swanley History Group. An excellent choice of illustrations, including cartoons, accompanied this enlightening presentation by Official City of London Guide Stuart Robinson.
Unpaid parish constables and night watchmen were early forerunners of today’s law enforcement officers. They raised the ‘hue and cry’ armed with a club, lantern and a rattle. The sinister sounding ‘thief taker’ who operated on the edges of the underworld followed. By the middle of the 18th century the first paid force appeared, set up by Bow Street Magistrate Henry Fielding and his blind brother John. These rough tough operators were known as the ‘Bow Street Runners’. To combat attacks by river pirates, ship-owners and merchants funded a marine force. One of their floating police stations still exists by Somerset House.
The expression ‘on the beat’ comes from beating the tide. It is hard to imagine how the ‘peelers’ or ‘bobby’s’ set up by Robert Peel in 1829, operated in their top hats and swallow tailed coats!
The places and methods of punishment were horrifying. Typhus was rife in prisons and so many miscreants were crammed into cages and lock ups that suffocation was common. We were shocked to learn that the last branding occurred in 1799 and burning in 1790 and public hangings attracted large crowds – 40,000 at Newgate in 1802.
Jonathan Wild, one of the most notorious criminals in the 18th century, was both a
thief taker and gangland master so operated on both sides of the law. We heard about Dick Turpin and less well known characters. Mary Young used her false arms and pregnancy in her occupation of ‘diver’ or pickpocket and was transported to America and back on more than one occasion, finally being executed in 1741. Elizabeth Brownrigg who beat her young domestic servant to death was also a respected midwife. Whilst not naming a suspect, our speaker suggested that the infamous Whitechapel murderer could be a prominent person in society as files had reportedly been removed and never discovered.
Our next meeting is on Tuesday 4 October 2016, 7.15 for 7.30 pm start, at White Oak Indoor Bowls Centre, Garrolds Close, off Hilda May Avenue, Swanley, BR8 7BF. For further information – www.swanleyhistorygroup.weebly.com, telephone Terry on 07884493894 Or Email [email protected]
Christina Tyler, Programme Organiser
Policing, punishment and criminals in London during the 18th and 19th centuries were the topics of the September meeting of Swanley History Group. An excellent choice of illustrations, including cartoons, accompanied this enlightening presentation by Official City of London Guide Stuart Robinson.
Unpaid parish constables and night watchmen were early forerunners of today’s law enforcement officers. They raised the ‘hue and cry’ armed with a club, lantern and a rattle. The sinister sounding ‘thief taker’ who operated on the edges of the underworld followed. By the middle of the 18th century the first paid force appeared, set up by Bow Street Magistrate Henry Fielding and his blind brother John. These rough tough operators were known as the ‘Bow Street Runners’. To combat attacks by river pirates, ship-owners and merchants funded a marine force. One of their floating police stations still exists by Somerset House.
The expression ‘on the beat’ comes from beating the tide. It is hard to imagine how the ‘peelers’ or ‘bobby’s’ set up by Robert Peel in 1829, operated in their top hats and swallow tailed coats!
The places and methods of punishment were horrifying. Typhus was rife in prisons and so many miscreants were crammed into cages and lock ups that suffocation was common. We were shocked to learn that the last branding occurred in 1799 and burning in 1790 and public hangings attracted large crowds – 40,000 at Newgate in 1802.
Jonathan Wild, one of the most notorious criminals in the 18th century, was both a
thief taker and gangland master so operated on both sides of the law. We heard about Dick Turpin and less well known characters. Mary Young used her false arms and pregnancy in her occupation of ‘diver’ or pickpocket and was transported to America and back on more than one occasion, finally being executed in 1741. Elizabeth Brownrigg who beat her young domestic servant to death was also a respected midwife. Whilst not naming a suspect, our speaker suggested that the infamous Whitechapel murderer could be a prominent person in society as files had reportedly been removed and never discovered.
Our next meeting is on Tuesday 4 October 2016, 7.15 for 7.30 pm start, at White Oak Indoor Bowls Centre, Garrolds Close, off Hilda May Avenue, Swanley, BR8 7BF. For further information – www.swanleyhistorygroup.weebly.com, telephone Terry on 07884493894 Or Email [email protected]
Christina Tyler, Programme Organiser