The early decades of the nineteenth century witnessed an apparent deterioration in public order and security in the London area. This continued to worsen until the middle of the century. During this period, the Metropolitan Police was established, ostensibly transforming policing in the capital. By the 1860s, crime seemed to be falling rapidly and continued to do so until the end of the century, so that it was no longer normally a subject that occasioned acute political concern. This book examines the reality of crime levels within the Metropolis, the extent to which they differed from public...

In recent years, much has been published on women, crime and justice in English history. However, for a variety of reasons, particularly the ready availability of source material for the capital, such research has tended to have an overwhelmingly Metropolitan focus. This book aims to redress the balance for the 'long' eighteenth century by concentrating on women from outside the London area. Although vitally important to the wider country, the Metropolis always contained a small minority of the country's female offenders and defendants, albeit a significantly higher percentage of the latter...