Manchester in the century between 1850 and 1950

Manchester in the century between 1850 and 1950 witnessed extraordinary growth and changes. In the mid-nineteenth century, Manchester was the world’s first industrialised city, home of the Industrial Revolution and known as ‘Cottonopolis’. It was a city of immigrants from the countryside, Ireland, Scotland and further afield, where slums and poverty existed in close proximity to great wealth.

The unique conditions in the city made it a breeding ground for crimes of all kinds, from the ‘high crimes’ of murder and large-scale robberies, frauds and theft, to ‘low-level’ crimes such as pickpocketing, mugging and other street crimes. ‘Snoozer’ gangs robbed hotels in Victorian Manchester and the city was home to numerous jewel thieves over the years including ‘Lucky Edgar’. Some crimes were even politically motivated, such as the suffragette law breaking, while others such as youth crime, which is often portrayed as a recent phenomenon, actually has a long history stretching back to the teenage scuttler gangs of the late nineteenth century.

This collection of true-life crime stories gives a vivid insight into life in Manchester in years gone by. This book will fascinate anyone with an interest in the history of crime, as well as those who want to know more about the history of Manchester.