Street gangs of the era

[SirJohnFalstaff]

If any of you could be so kind as to point me in the direction where I can find reliable literature about street gangs in the East End in 1888, I would really appreciate.

So far, I've heard of the Old Nicols gang, which i will look into.

and the Blind Beggar gang, who is supposed to be named after the pub where they were hanging out. Except that the pub was founded in 1894.

Any help is appreciated.

Thank you.

[MrBarnett]

Sir John,

The book East End Underworld: The Life of Arthur Harding is a mine of information. It covers a slightly later period, but I think it gives a feel for how it might have been in 1888.

The Website of the Bishopsgate Institute has some information about Harding.

MrB

[SirJohnFalstaff]

Sir John,

The book East End Underworld: The Life of Arthur Harding is a mine of information. It covers a slightly later period, but I think it gives a feel for how it might have been in 1888.

The Website of the Bishopsgate Institute has some information about Harding.

MrB

Thank you very much, sir!

[MrBarnett]

Thank you very much, sir!

You're welcome .
MrB

[minutia]

You might look up the "Peaky Blinders" if you haven't already.

[Defective Detective]

A thought: were there any Sicilian immigrants in the area in 1888? As farfetched as it is, and I do not advance this as a serious theory, mafia cosches were known to exist in America as far west as Missouri by the early 1880s. And don't let the "code of honor" bullshit fool you: there are two cases I know of in Sicily in which extortion gangs murdered the prostitutes they were 'protecting', though the MO was nothing like the Ripper crimes. They were perfectly capable of murdering women. And I'd be more comfortable with a mafiosi immigrant Jack than I would be with a domestic gangmember Jack. Mafiosi don't talk.

Hey, it's at least more plausible than Doctor Cream. And some of the Black Hand letters kind of remind me of the "Ripper letters".

[Rob Clack]

A list of some of the street gangs in 1888.



The Pall Mall Gazette, Saturday 13 October 1888.

There is as far as I am aware no Old Nichol Gang and never has been.
Also The Blind Beggar was there in 1888, the current building dates from 1894.

Rob

[SirJohnFalstaff]

You might look up the "Peaky Blinders" if you haven't already.

will do. Thanks.

[SirJohnFalstaff]

A list of some of the street gangs in 1888.

[ATTACH]16321[/ATTACH]

The Pall Mall Gazette, Saturday 13 October 1888.

There is as far as I am aware no Old Nichol Gang and never has been.
Also The Blind Beggar was there in 1888, the current building dates from 1894.

Rob

Thanks for that. Very helpful.

About the Old Nichol. From what I understand, it wasn't their official name, but a name given to them given the area they came from.
I'm not talking "From Hell" movie here.
I'll look further.

[Rob Clack]

I don't believe there is any mention of the Old Nichol Gang anywhere prior to around 1950. Certainly I don't think there waa any mention of them at the time.

Rob

[miss marple]

Historian Sarah Wise's book The Blackest Streets, The life and death of a Victorian slum[ about the Old Nichol ] blames Donald McCormack for spreading the myth of the high rip old nichol gang much repeated by some ripperologists . McCormack's book [1959]is now quite discredited.
Sarah 's books however are masterpieces of research. On subjects such as body snatchers, 'The Italian Boy', madness, Inconvenient People.

She is an excellent background read on aspects of 19th century London.

Miss Marple

[SirJohnFalstaff]

Historian Sarah Wise's book The Blackest Streets, The life and death of a Victorian slum[ about the Old Nichol ] blames Donald McCormack for spreading the myth of the high rip old nichol gang much repeated by some ripperologists . McCormack's book [1959]is now quite discredited.
Sarah 's books however are masterpieces of research. On subjects such as body snatchers, 'The Italian Boy', madness, Inconvenient People.

She is an excellent background read on aspects of 19th century London.

Miss Marple

Thank you so much.

[Penhalion]

Thank-you for the reference to Ms Wise. I believe I just ordered her whole catalog.

[SirJohnFalstaff]

I just bought the Kindle edition of Ms Wise's book(I normally boycott Amazon, but it was the only affordable version).

It's a very interesting read. Especially for a shameless short story writer like me who never set foot in England. (one day, one day...)

THANK YOU MISS MARPLE!

[Purkis]

You might look up the "Peaky Blinders" if you haven't already.

The Peaky Blinders were based in Birmingham.