The Liverpool Underworld
Crime in the City, 1750-1900
Distributed for Liverpool University Press
354 pages
|
6 x 9
|
© 2011
From dock theft to prostitution to the usual slew of alcohol-related offenses, Liverpool in the nineteenth century was “the black spot on the Mersey,” with a distinct criminal landscape that included a high level of female offenders and armies of juvenile thieves.
Using newspapers, autobiographies, and firsthand accounts, this book explores the social background that helped to create and sustain the high level and variety of crime and looks at how various institutions attempted to bring order to the streets. A mix of statistical analysis and accounts of criminal practice—from poaching to pocket-picking—Liverpool Underworld forms a fascinating account of the city’s underworld.
Clive Emsley, Open University
"A rattling good read."
David Taylor, University of Huddersfield
“A well-written and fascinating book on the history of crime in Liverpool.”
P.T. Smith | Choice
“This is a fascinating read, and well researched from archival and secondary sources. Whatever the current concerns about modern violence, it was assuredly much worse back then. Summing Up: Highly recommended.”
Contents
List of Tables
List of Abbreviations
Acknowledgements
Preface
‘Ghastly Statistics’: a Word of Warning
1. The Black Spot on the Mersey
2. Policing
3. Prison and Punishment
4. Children and Women in the Justice System
5. ‘The Scum of Ireland’
6. Protest, Riot and Disorder
7. The Lowest Circle of Hell
8. The Demon Drink
9. Violence
10. Maritime Crime
11. Street Robbery
12. Burglary and Property Theft
13. Poaching Wars
14. Scams
15. Victorian Family Values
16. ‘The Devil’s Children’
17. Gangs and Anti-Social Behaviour
18. Prostitution
19. Sport and Gambling
Conclusion
Notes
Bibliography
Index
List of Abbreviations
Acknowledgements
Preface
‘Ghastly Statistics’: a Word of Warning
1. The Black Spot on the Mersey
2. Policing
3. Prison and Punishment
4. Children and Women in the Justice System
5. ‘The Scum of Ireland’
6. Protest, Riot and Disorder
7. The Lowest Circle of Hell
8. The Demon Drink
9. Violence
10. Maritime Crime
11. Street Robbery
12. Burglary and Property Theft
13. Poaching Wars
14. Scams
15. Victorian Family Values
16. ‘The Devil’s Children’
17. Gangs and Anti-Social Behaviour
18. Prostitution
19. Sport and Gambling
Conclusion
Notes
Bibliography
Index
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