List of victorian crimes. A third entry to the series was published in 2021.

List of victorian crimes. Much of early detective fiction was written during the "Golden Age of Detective Fiction" (1920s–1930s). Books shelved as victorian-crime-novels: The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle, Unquiet Spirits: Whisky, Ghosts, Murder by Bonnie MacBird, This is a partial list of unsolved murders in Australia. Many will be surprised, however, that the scope of such crimes reaches far beyond simple romantic betrayal. But because of when the author published their work and because of the themes, we're including it on this list. Witness Victorian criminal mugshots and hear the nefarious activities that led them to a Police Court and the punishment they received, in this documentary compilation of historical photos from Jul 23, 2020 · In Victorian times, the big cities of London, Glasgow, Manchester and Birmingham were not the only places to be plagued by gangs of fighting youths. Victorian crime and punishment We bring you the facts about crime and punishment in the Victorian era – from Jack the Ripper, who stalked the streets of Whitechapel for his five victims in 1888, to the pick-pocketing street urchins popularised by Charles Dickens’s ‘Oliver Twist’. This is data will grow. [1] There are 111 cases in South Australia that remain unsolved dating back to the 1950s. It was known as the Bloody Code because of the huge numbers of crimes for which the death penalty could be imposed. Stories or gore, lust, greed and revenge have been lost to popular history thanks to our obsession with ‘Saucy Jack’. Corporal Punishments Early-modern punishments including whipping and the pillory frequently used physical harm, often inflicted as a public spectacle, as a method of deterring crime. But a criminal was portrayed as a hero in such crime stories. There would be a written account of the crime and of the trial and often the Ameila Dyer – aka the “Angel Maker” When: 1860s-1890s Where: Bristol then Reading Amelia Dyer is undeniably one of Victorian England’s most notorious killers, second only to Jack the Ripper in notoriety. If you were living in … Dec 6, 2024 · The stories of Victorian London’s macabre crimes have often centered on the perpetrators, their methods, and the societal fascination with their deeds. education/collec A video that gives an introduction to crime in the May 10, 2019 · Crime writers setting their stories in the Victorian era are privileged to have a vast range of sources to consult about the social history, politics and crimes of the time. Their ability to bear children gave rise to a feminine ideal based on marriage and motherhood, while their Jan 17, 2025 · When England was on the cusp of the Victorian era in the 1820s, there were more than 200 offenses that were punishable by death. And we aren't just talking about Jack the Ripper. Marzials was a Victorian poet who made hundreds of people suffer when he started reading his poems. Behind the velvet Jan 26, 2023 · While Jack the Ripper might be the most infamous of the Victorian era's murderers, he wasn't the only one. The old Tudor system was followed where local watch and ward were there to look . As of 2024, there are 200 homicide "cold cases" in Victoria according to Victoria Police. Victorian criminals often exploited loopholes to make money, such as selling cadavers for currency or The Victorian era’s best known unsolved slayings are those of Jack the Ripper, whose identity remains as much a mystery today as it was then. a person who murders more than one person, [1] in two or more separate events over a period of time, for primarily psychological reasons [2][3] who began committing their crimes before 1900. The sentences and punishments of the Victorian criminals varied of the type of crime they committed. These detectives include amateurs, private investigators and professional policemen. Several of the crimes in the Bloody Codes would be ridiculous compared to 21st century law. What are some of the famous prisons in London's past? Here's what they were like. At various points, some or all of these eleven unsolved murders of women have been ascribed to the notorious unidentified serial killer known as Jack the Ripper. John “Liver-Eating” Johnson (1824-1900) Given that the Victorian era brought us the real-life mystery of Jack the Ripper, and the not-so-real but equally enduring tales of Sherlock Holmes, it's evident that crime was a serious problem. Take the Thames Torso Murders: for years, bits of human bodies mysteriously washed on that river’s… Information about crime and punishment in Victorian times. Jun 18, 2019 · The Victorians were more famous for their love of all things ghastly—and I did a list of nonfiction recs about Victorian crime over here —but crime didn’t suddenly cease to fascinate the minute Queen Victoria croaked. How was Victorian crime and punishment different? Although these were deeply flawed, it is possible to see how crime (or prosecution) trends were presented, and determine why the Victorian State and the general public reacted to apparent outbreaks of crime at particular times. Victorian morality is a cleansing of the moral view point that the people within society during the reign of Queen Victoria carried. Elizabeth was a penal reformer who was interested in women in jail in the early part of the 19th century. This was a negative side effect of the Industrial Revolution, which created wealth for some but also reduced the living standards of others. The ironically named poem, which was published in 1873, lived up to its name exceptionally well, since it has Background Crime, and how to deal with it, was one of the great issues of Victorian Britain. Feb 17, 2011 · Women, Crime and Custody in Victorian England by Lucia Zedner (Clarendon Press, 1991) Places to visit The London Dungeons - 28-34 Tooley Street, London, Tel: 020 7403 0606. But Jack the Ripper was just one of a string of phantom murderers The following is a list of serial killers i. They were typically illustrated by a crude picture of the crime, a portrait of the criminal, or a generic woodcut of a hanging taking place. These were often produced by printers who specialised in them. Nov 7, 1991 · Abstract This book explores how the Victorians perceived and explained female crime, and how they responded to it - both in penal theory and prison practice. They profile the killers and suspects, delve into the lives of the victims and showcase the police and investigators who worked to solve the crimes well before the era of modern forensics. This was the time when authorities had limited resources to cope with crime, riot and disorder. The Whitechapel murders were committed in or near the impoverished Whitechapel district in the East End of London between 3 April 1888 and 13 February 1891. For the rough-hewn prisoners who made it to shore, a new world awaited. I am researching all the cases and will build a folder containing news reports and other material for each one. The era was full of dastardly men and women. You can also find lesson plans and resources to go with the Victorians topic for KS2. Discover the world of crime in Victorian London. And, although crime declined overall, there were occasional panics when some Victorian criminals would commit crimes so horrific the whole country heard about it. The series takes place in 1887, where DI Rabbit is tasked with solving crimes on the streets of London’s East End. flag All Votes Add Books To This List ← Previous 1 2 Next → Sep 27, 2021 · Between 1750 and 1815, various other crimes were added to the Bloody Codes. The words were powerful and the story was so touching so as to influence the society. Middlemarch is a story of provincial life in the midlands. e. Jan 10, 2020 · Georgian prisons were horrific and unsanitary places, the system needed to change. Named after the London prison, the Calendar was a series of collections of stories relating The Crime Statistics Agency (CSA) has developed this offence classification to assist in the production and analysis of summary crime and justice statistics in Victoria. Jul 12, 2017 · In popular usage, a crime of passion is a violent act arising from sudden, unpremeditated anger or heartbreak. [5] Most of the new statutes 4 days ago · This Victorian detective series is definitely one not to be taken seriously. " Feb 18, 2016 · Victorian social values again take precedence in Kate Summerscale’s 2009 reexamination of a true crime, the Road Hill House murder of 1860, when three-year old Saville was murdered and horribly disposed of in the outside privy. At the time when Great Expectations is set (the 1810s and 1820s), the authorities had to deal with a growing number of offenders, most of whom were convicted of theft, which was a felony, and, like homicide, rape, robbery, burglary, and arson, was Oct 23, 2020 · Bring the Victorians to life! Visit our shop for replica artefacts - perfect for hands-on learning: https://shop. inspire. The five books I’ve recommended are some of the best crime novels set in the nineteenth century, but written more recently. Oct 1, 2018 · British people of the 19th century had an acute interest in crime — murder to be more precise. Sep 6, 2018 · Ludicrous crimes that would have gotten you hanged in 18th century England Imagine being hanged for stealing a handkerchief, cutting down a tree and for blackening your face. This also caused a change in crime across England's cities, just as the Victorian era was Feb 19, 2015 · In the 19th century, the world was a changing place—especially in the big cities. While convicts continued to be sentenced to these punishments into the nineteenth century, all but the private whipping of men had ceased by the end of the century. Children would often pick pocket and take food and goods from the street markets. The Crime Statistics Agency compiles and publishes quarterly updates on recorded offences, victim reports, and offender incidents. The following ten entries examine pre–20th century atrocities—acts of violence pertaining to love, treachery, and the mere desire to inflict harm for reasons the sane will Feb 5, 2024 · Thanks! Following our list of mystery book series featuring members of the clergy, we are turning our attention to another mystery subgenre, one that takes us back to the Victorian era. It would seem as if every crime was punishable by death in the 1800s, even those which we would consider to be very minor or trivial today such as stealing a rabbit. Here is a list of Victorian and Edwardian unsolved murder cases (unresolved deaths). Australia portal Crime in Australia List of Australian criminals List of Australian serial killers List of disasters in Australia by death toll List of mass shootings in Australia For information and debate pertaining to the massacre and genocide of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders people, see Indigenous Australians, Black War and History Maintenance of Law and Order Before 1839 Before the Metropolitan Police Act was passed, law and order was taken care of by unpaid parish constables. The Industrial Revolution brought about a number of changes to manufacturing and transport throughout England between the late 18th century and early 19th century. See full list on historyhit. Contains links to all our offence pages under all categories. By the 1860s, Although fiction dealing with crime and mystery had been published well before the Victorian age, crime literature before 1800 had frequently focused on the criminal as the sympathetic hero. The Victorian Era was an era of great change, and growth, and during this era people had faith crime was something they could beat. She is thought to have killed around 400 babies during a thirty year span. Recidivism is particularly apparent regarding women criminals, especially hoisters, shoplifters, and burglars. com May 24, 2024 · How Safe Was Victorian London? Crime and the Victorian Household (by Dickens's son) Violent Crime Murder by poisoning Murder by drowning Murder by strangling Assassination Danger inside the Train: Crime on Victorian Railways Robbery of stage coaches River pirates England as "the European center of suicide" Jack the Ripper Nonviolent Crime May 25, 2024 · The Victorian era saw the rise of sensationalistic new mass media in the form of cheap newspapers. The Victorians had a firm belief in making criminals face up to their responsibilities and in punishment. This punishment by "transportation" began in 1787 and many of the lawless died at sea. Find out more with this year 5/6 primary history guide from BBC Bitesize. Criminal activity in Victoria, Australia is addressed by Victoria Police, the Victorian court system, and community-based initiatives. What crimes were committed in Victorian Britain? How did the British legal Criminality and its Penalties in Victorian Times By Leon Litvack Dickens’s conception of Magwitch confirms his deep interest in criminals. Jul 26, 2022 · The Victorian-era tale mixes medicine, mystery, and romance, and it was longlisted for the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year. Aug 2, 2009 · The list of crimes include impersonating a Chelsea pensioners, being out at night with a blackened face and stealing from a rabbit warren. Jan 11, 2011 · Dark and foggy Victorian streets, the murderous madman, the arsenic-laced evening meal – we all think we know the realities of Victorian crime. It follows the misadventures of Detective Inspector Eli Rabbit, a hard-drinking and foul-mouthed policeman who operates in Victorian-era London. Gangs of thieves would be formed to make the thefts from shops, warehouses and homes easier and the spoils would be shared amongst them or sold on. To reinforce the idea that some punishments were apparently harsh and unjustified by today's standards. Immigrants flooded into New York, Liverpool, and Glasgow, causing mixing religious and ethnic groups to fight for their place in their new world. They were elected and then appointed by the local justice of the peace. It encompasses novels and short stories that revolve around crime, mystery, and detective work set in the Victorian period. These morals usually included any set of values that supported chastity, not committing crimes, a strict code of conduct within society. 1% from the Nov 24, 2020 · Sometimes truth is stranger (and more gruesome) than fiction. Women, Crime and Custody in Victorian England by Lucia Zedner (Clarendon Press, 1991) Places to visit The London Dungeons - 28-34 Tooley Street, London, Tel: 020 7403 0606. A timeless favorite that stands the test of time. Accompanied by his loyal friend Dr. The Edwardian era had plenty of its own sensational trials, gruesome murders, and fascinating criminals. A third entry to the series was published in 2021. The 'Bloody Code' was the name given to the English legal system from the late 17th Century to the early 19th Century. Crime broadsides were commonly sold at public executions in the United Kingdom in the 18th and 19th centuries. Doogue + George 03 9670 5111 Mysteries set in Victorian England - no fantasy or magic, no time travel. The books named are the first in each series – the sleuth named appears in all the books. Her crime was murder, and her victims were babies. The Crime Statistics Agency (CSA) process, analyse, and publish all Victorian crime statistics, independent of Victoria Police. Possible teaching objectives Through an Internet image search, find examples and photographs of Explore crime and punishment in Victorian times. While the novel by George Eliot (the pen name of Mary Ann Evans) was first published in 1871, Middlemarch is set from 1829 to 1832, slightly proceeding the Victorian Era. Explore Victorian child crime and punishment using primary sources. As Aug 21, 2025 · General Overviews There is no shortage of useful overviews of crime and punishment in the Victorian period, although it is helpful to distinguish between works that consider the practice of crime and punishment from a historical point of view (Historical Context) and those that deal with its representation in Literature and Culture, although there is some overlap between these somewhat Crime and Punishment Learning Objective: To explore crime and punishment in the Victorian period. The Victorian era, for example, saw the introduction of the Poison was the first choice for many murderers in the Victorian era - and was particularly popular with women! Feb 16, 2013 · Crime: Butchering the English language. Prisons were not split by gender, age or seriousness of crime. Upon conviction British rogues guilty of at least one of the 19 crimes were sentenced to live in Australia, rather than death. Institutions such as Broadmoor and Pentonville harbored criminals ranging from thieves to murderers, many of whom suffered The Victorian Dictionary The Victorian Dictionary is an online interactive primary source collection concerning the social history of Victorian England. Powerful street gangs began to form, quickly staking With a PhD in Victorian domestic murder and a fascination with the weirder elements of Victorian life, it was almost inevitable I’d turn my hand to writing crime fiction set in that era. Learning objectives Pupils should learn: To familiarise pupils with common Victorian crimes and punishments. Please note that this game uses In 19th-century Britain and North America, women were regarded as the ‘weaker sex’. The result was the perception that murder was more prevalent than the statistics showed. 5 days ago · The Victorian era technically spans the reign of England's Queen Victoria, from 1837-1901, and marks a time of social change and the industrial revolution. Jan 26, 2021 · Middlemarch, 1994. Watson, Holmes captivates audiences with his uncanny abilities and unique personality. Changes in such representations were evident as early as 1773, and the publication of the first Newgate Calendar. Explore crime and punishment in Victorian times. Many historians have translated this to the suppression of the poor by the wealthy and aristocratic. This list does not include mass murderers, spree killers, war criminals, or members of democidal governments. Take a look at 10 of the most notorious serial killers of the Victorian Era in the gallery below and let us know your favorite true crime story from this list in the comments section on social media. Meanwhile, criminals were quickly discovering that life was much easier with the help of like-minded people. Yet, woven into this dark tapestry are the lives of the victims, individuals whose stories were overshadowed by sensationalism and the enduring allure of the grotesque. At this time prison was not like it is now. The early-mid 1800s into the first steps of the 20th century was full of big changes all over the world. Most are set in Victorian England, but a few are set in the USA and some others (particularly the Sherlock Holmes-related ones) spill over into the Edwardian period. As pioneers in a frontier penal colony, they forged a new (Guardian) Before the Victorian era crime literature was published which unveiled unending mysteries. Most, if not all, of the eleven victims— Emma Elizabeth Smith, Martha Mar 31, 2021 · The Victorian Era spanned the length of Queen Victoria’s reign in England, lasting from 1837-1901. However, the Ripper’s weren’t that era’s sole unsolved slayings. To get pupils to reflect on their own view of these Victorian crimes and punishments. Edgar Award winner Otto Penzler—”detective fiction’s best editor and champion” (The Washington Post)—returns with a new anthology of exhilarating mysteries, assembling Victorian society’s lords and ladies and most miserable miscreants. The " Bloody Code " was a series of laws in England, Wales and Ireland in the eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries which imposed the death penalty for a wide range of crimes, many of which would be considered minor by later standards. And I’m planning to take a second look at it soon! Have I left out any other great shows about Victorian women solving crimes? Drop your suggestions in the comments! Aug 19, 2023 · What sort of crimes were committed in the Victorian times? Crimes committed in Victorian times ranged from theft and burglary to more violent offenses like murder and assault. You can read more about them on Goodreads Alphabetical list of all criminal offences in Victoria, Australia. The result of my research is available by clicking the link next to the case. The death penalty for most crimes was abolished for instance (it used to be that you could be hanged for something as trivial as stealing quite a small amount of money or property for instance). The same set of years contains Mar 16, 2016 · The following books are some of the best Victorian-set historical mysteries that I know about. In the first place there seemed to be a rising crime rate, from about 5,000 recorded crimes per year in 1800 to 20,000 per year in the 1830s. Middle School History. These individuals have long been a staple of detective mystery crime fiction, particularly in detective novels and short stories. The completion of Cobden Bridge over the River Itchen at Southampton in 1883 almost immediately led to a series of pitched battles between the ‘townies’ of Kingsland, Northam and St Deny’s This list is for nonfiction books about true crimes committed during the Victorian (in the UK, 1837 - 1901) or Edwardian (1901 - 1910) Eras. This statement underlines the grim reality of crime during the Victorian era, a period when propriety and appearances often concealed the darker underbelly of society. Many May 14, 2025 · Here's a list of the best TV shows set in Victorian England that will allow you to experience what would it be like living in England in the Victorian Era. Inspector John Marlott investigates a series of crimes in 19th Century London, which may have been committed by a scientist intent on re-animating the dead. Nov 11, 2013 · While prostitution and drunkenness were a common sight on England's streets, there were also a number of other crimes being committed. And because at the time the British Empire was powerful and at its best, these values did not keep to the Victorians Patrol the streets as a ‘peeler’, catch the criminals and decide their punishment. For those unfamiliar with what the Victorian era encompasses, it refers to the period of Queen Victoria’s reign in the United Kingdom that spans from 1837 to Jan 26, 2021 · Ever wondered what crime and punishment was like in Victorian London? Explore the crimes that plagued London in the 19th century and their punishments. It was created by author and historian Lee Jackson and contains an extensive list of primary sources concerning crime, police and policing, prisons, as well as criminal slang. What does the term “Victorian crime fiction” refer to? Victorian crime fiction refers to a genre of literature that originated in the 19th century during the Victorian era. Feb 9, 2016 · When discussing unsolved murders of women in late Victorian London, most people think of the depredations of Jack the Ripper, the Whitechapel Murderer, whose sanguineous exploits has spawned the creation of a small library of books. In Victorian England women made up a far larger proportion of those known to be involved in crime than they do today; the nature of female criminality attracted considerable attention and preoccupied those trying to provide for women Dec 25, 2013 · Life in Victorian times was arguably considerably more dangerous than now, if the newspaper reports of the time are anything to go by, writes Jeremy Clay. They are often Jun 4, 2021 · A famous Victorian reformer is the woman who once graced our five pound notes; Elizabeth Fry. The Victorian era was a time when in some ways the criminal justice system became more humane. Dec 8, 2024 · Theft In the Victorian Era theft was rife on the streets of the cities and towns. Oct 24, 2025 · Based on Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's legendary character, the famous detective uses unparalleled logic and intuition to solve the most perplexing crimes in Victorian London. This age in English history is known for the economic, cultural, technological, and religious change that it fostered. Mar 6, 2023 · Victorian prisons and medieval prisons play a huge park in London's dark history. Why were the Victorians so fascinated by murder? Victorians were worried about the rising crime rate: offences went up from about 5,000 per year in 1800 to about 20,000 per year in 1840. As with any profound social change movement, many of the English felt crushed beneath the wheels of progress. Men and women would also be found shoplifting in the same way people do today. Crimes and their punishments were basically split into three categories: political offences, felonies, and misdemeanors. Analyze cases and debate if the punishment fit the crime. It is largely based on the structure and principles of the Australian and New Zealand Standard Offence Classification (ANZSOC) (External link) produced by the Australian Bureau of Statistics, and has been modified to suit the Nineteen crimes turned convicts into colonists. Editors discovered that sordid crimes sold papers, so the most violent and lurid cases received outsized coverage. Defendants convicted of notorious crimes such as The criminal justice system in Britain has developed over centuries and the greatest changes took place during the Victorian era, with the establishment of professional police forces, the creation of large-scale prisons, and the introduction of new parliamentary Acts stipulating the nature of crimes and their sanctions. [2] Oct 9, 2023 · The Victorian era is often romanticized as a time of elegance, propriety, and strict moral codes. Aug 1, 2013 · While the Victorian Era in Britain saw financial and economic booms, the era also saw an increase in poverty rates and crime rates. This inflated the list of offenses punishable by death to around 220 with the majority of the crimes regarding property. These were the days of mysterious serial killer Jack the Ripper, and baby harvester Amelia Dyer, and the multiple assassination attempts of Queen Victoria Crime and Punishment The Victorians Learn about crimes, laws, trials and punishments in Victorian times, between 1837-1901. They ranged in severity from mass murder to consorting with gypsies, but thanks to the so-called "Bloody Code," all took the same toll: a public hanging. However, the crimes committed during this time period tell a different story. This section looks at various types of Victorian crimes, such as smuggling, forging, etc. , and the methods being developed to combat crime. As time passed by the readers of criminal writing sympathetically looked at the criminals. Like many Victorian era stories, it Fictional detectives are characters in detective fiction. Theo is credited for writing quite possibly the worst poem to have ever been written in the English language, which goes by the name of A Tragedy. Gruesome cases of all kinds were abundant. In the year ending 31 March 2025, Victoria recorded a total of 474,937 criminal incidents, [A 1] an increase of 20. These books explore some sensational, as well as lesser-known, murders from the Victorian era. Apr 16, 2024 · What were common crimes in Victorian London and how were they dealt with legally? This was a time of social reform and Jack the Ripper, of squalid poverty and pickpockets. With older ways of life dying and economic disparity a constant True crime books from the 1800s, available through the National Library Service, offering historical insights. If you don’t get it right, they’ll escape. Jul 15, 2016 · In this book, four eminent crime historians reveal the realities of this aspect of Victorian life, illuminating not just the criminals and their victims, but also the policemen, forensic scientists and others who rubbed shoulders with the nineteenth-century underworld. [1][2][3][4] Between 1688 and 1820, the total number of capital crimes in England and Wales grew from about 50 to over 200. Apr 4, 2023 · These unsolved murders from the Victorian era will make your skin crawl. Oct 14, 2023 · The Big Book of Victorian Mysteries is the first book in the list is a collection of exciting mysteries set in the Victorian era. Jun 30, 2021 · Although the intent of Victorian incarceration was to allow criminals to consider the cause of their crimes, and hopefully reform, few did. Adrian Gray’s thrilling book recounts the classic murders, by knife and poison, but it also covers much more, taking the reader into less familiar parts of Victorian life, uncovering the wicked, the […] 3 days ago · The Whitechapel murders were the focus of a huge criminal investigation that saw the Victorian police pit their wits against a lone assassin who was perpetrating his crimes in one of 19th century London's most densely populated and crime ridden quarters. She started her career by opening a house of confinement Feb 14, 2025 · Even though Trystan didn’t really vibe with the show, it does have some very good costumes. But, of course, when it comes to crime in Victorian London, Jack the Ripper looms large in the popular imagination, often eclipsing all other crimes. isuj 8u47h bb1 hsrqt ljpm3 pf ofdux ux xy9qvt avcu