Poaching as Organized Crime

Did you know that poaching could be a form of organized crime? The law made all game the property of the landowner. Poaching was theft pure and simple. Getting caught could result in transportation to the penal colonies down under. The idea that rich “toffs” cared only about sport has a grain of truth in […]

Into the Slums with Aldridge

I travel. Sometimes I travel by boat, plane, or automobile. Sometimes I travel by book. Sometimes I explore the real world. This week I rambled through the worst sections of London with the Marquis of Aldridge. I wouldn’t normally dare go to St. Giles, Seven Dials, the Devil’s Acre etc., the lairs of thieves, murderers, […]

Lawlessness and Bounty Hunting in Regency England

Highlighting Historical Romance: Jude Knight Jude’s next release features a hero who is a thief taker. He prefers the term enquiry agent. Thief takers, he says, are ‘so unpleasant’. Here are some thoughts about law enforcement in Regency England. Crime was a personal affair Before 1829, our modern idea of a police force, and of […]