Crime Fighting in Regency London

Relevant History welcomes historical mystery author Ashley Gardner, pen name for New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Jennifer Ashley. She has published nearly 40 novels and a dozen novellas since 2002. Her novels have been nominated for numerous awards, including RT BookReviews Reviewer's Choice award for Best Historical Novel (which she won for The Sudbury School Murders). She has penned seven novels and a novella (thus far) in the Captain Lacey Regency Mystery series. When not writing books, Ashley enjoys cooking, hiking, and building dollhouses and dollhouse miniatures. For more information, check her web site and author blog, and follow her on Facebook and Twitter.

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One reason I enjoy writing historical crime fiction (and indeed, reading it) is that I'm fascinated by crime detection before fingerprinting, DNA tests, police databases, and other modern technology. I'm even more fascinated by the people who did this crime detecting, often very well and with good results.

My mystery series (The Captain Lacey Regency mysteries, beginning with The Hanover Square Affair) is set in London in 1816 and beyond. This period predates Robert Peel's 1829 police reform that established a regular police force.

In my time period, 1816, several bodies of men worked under different jurisdictions to solve crimes and arrest criminals: The Watch, the Runners, and the Thames River Police. The City of London (the square mile) had its own constables, who didn't much like interference from those patrolling the rest of metropolitan London.

The most famous of the pre-Peel police are the Bow Street Runners. In my series, Captain Lacey's former sergeant, Milton Pomeroy, becomes one of these elite patrollers, loves getting his convictions, and often calls upon Gabriel Lacey, now a private citizen, to help him out.

A short history of the Bow Street Runners: In 1750, Henry Fielding, magistrate of the Bow Street house (as well as the author of Tom Jones), put in motion a plan to employ six permanent constables at the Bow Street magistrate's house. Unlike parish constables, who took up constable duties for a year (or paid others to do it for them), "Mr. Fielding's People" would be more or less permanent employees.

The first Runners (who were not called "Runners" until about 1790) were not paid a salary or stipend; they received rewards for the conviction of criminals. They did not patrol, but investigated crimes that were reported to them.

Sir John Fielding, Henry Fielding's half-brother, took over the Bow Street office in 1754 and remained there until 1779. Blind since the age of 20, Sir John Fielding took "Mr. Fielding's People" and built them into an elite, highly respected detective force.

Under Sir John, the Runners were paid a salary in addition to collecting rewards; the magistrates began to receive stipends and sit regular hours. The Bow Street office also began to be used as a clearinghouse for information. Newssheets and journals (including The Hue and Cry or Weekly Pursuit, established by John Fielding in 1772), listed information on wanted criminals and stolen property, and was distributed throughout the country.

A quote from the Weekly Pursuit:

John Godfrey, pretends to be a clergyman, middle-sized, thin visaged, smooth face, ruddy cheeks, his eyes inflamed, a large white wig, bandy-legged, charged with fraud at Chichester.

Bow Street Runners were allowed to pursue criminals or track down missing persons outside of London, something that parish constables or the Watch could not do.

In 1792, the Middlesex Justices Act established seven magistrates houses in addition to Bow Street. Each house had three magistrates and six constables (called Runners in Bow Street—in other houses they might be referred to as Runners, constables, or officers).

The Runners issued warrants for arrest, brought in suspects, and investigated reported crimes. They did not patrol or walk a beat—the Runners only investigated or arrested a suspect once someone (usually the victim or friend/family of the victim), arrived at the magistrate's office to report a crime.

Runners/constables at the magistrates' houses were often hired by victims of crimes to hunt down offenders, or to find missing persons. Runners also continued to be given rewards by the magistrates' office for the conviction of criminals. They were rewarded only when the suspect was convicted of a crime, not simply caught and arrested (although private citizens could pay the Runner for bringing a suspect to the magistrate).

Each magistrate's house by 1815 employed foot patrollers who assisted the magistrates and the Runners. The foot patrollers actually patrolled in the streets of metropolitan London, while mounted patrollers covered the roads leading to London.

Another branch of crime fighters that greatly interests me is the Thames River Police. In The Glass House (Book 3 of the Captain Lacey Regency Mysteries), I introduce a Thames River Policeman who asks Captain Lacey to help him identify a body pulled out of the river.

The Thames River Police, sometimes called the Marine Police, or simply, the River Police, was sponsored and formed in 1798 by West India merchants and based at Wapping New Stairs. The Marine Police would patrol the Thames River and prevent theft from the merchantmen and docks along the river as well as the warehouses in which goods were stored.

The new police were so successful that, in 1800, the merchant companies (including the East India Company, the West India merchants, United States traders and others), backed a bill to let the government take over the running of the operation. Patrick Colquhoun, a magistrate who had many ideas for police reform, lobbied the government and persuaded them to bring the Thames River Police under their jurisdiction.

The Thames River Police continued to operate throughout the Regency and were incorporated into Robert Peel's metropolitan police in 1839. (Note that though the metropolitan police began in 1829, but the Thames River Police ran under the old system until 1839.)

And the Watch? The much-maligned Watch was created in the late 17th century in London and its boroughs. Unlike the magistrate system, which was set up and regulated by the Home Office, each parish within London was given full control over their Watch. Each parish decided how many men to hire, how much to pay them, how much to supervise them, and what the watchmen would do.

The quality of the Watch in any given part of London depended, of course, on the financial ability of that parish. The Watch system was completely replaced in 1829–30 by the new constables of the Metropolitan Police.

I thoroughly enjoy researching crime-fighting in Regency London—there is much more to it than the little bit I've touched on here, but I hope I've provided an interesting overview.

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A big thanks to Ashley Gardner. She'll give away a print or electronic copy of the first Captain Lacey mystery, The Hanover Square Affair (re-released edition) or the newest book, A Death in Norfolk, to someone who contributes a comment on my blog this week. I'll choose the winner from among those who comment by Sunday at 6 p.m. ET. International delivery is available.

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Comments

[Liz]

Enjoyed some of Bruce Alexander's series on Fielding:
http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/85989.Bruce_Alexander

[S]o successful that ... the merchant companies ... backed a bill to let the government take over". And then?

[Suzanne Adair]

Hi Liz, welcome back! lol, we know what happens when the American government takes over a private enterprise!

[Tracy Smith]

After reading and loving Cornwell's Sharpe series, these books sound right up my alley. I imagine that quite a few men returning from the Napoleonic Wars got involved with the Runners as a post-war career.

[Suzanne Adair]

Tracy, thanks for stopping by. I've read most of the Sharpe books and all the Captain Lacey books, and I think you would enjoy Gabriel Lacey. Furthermore, this is a series with three-dimensional secondary characters. Even the villains are 3-D.

[Johanan J]

I have not read the Captain Lacey book but I love Jennifer Ashley's other books. Thanks for sharing a interesting post today.

[Jo More]

I wasn't much into mistery novels until I started reading Ms. Ashley Gardner's novels. She's a great author and every single one of her books is in my TBR if I have not read them yet! Thank you for hosting this contest.

[Beebs]

I finished reading The Hanover Square Affair yesterday. Totally hooked already and cannot wait to read the rest of the series.

[Betty Hamilton]

I would love to read your mstery series. The books sound great! Best wishes and TY fior a chance to win one of the books!!

[Lucinda Canterbury]

I'm going to have to look up this series. Lobe reading about the Bow Street Runners. Loved Lisa K's Bow Street Runners series.

[Suzanne Adair]

Johanan J, welcome to my blog. The Captain Lacey books (there are 7 so far, with another one forthcoming) are historical mystery. Usually mystery readers don't care to read a lot of romance, and the Lacey series is definitely a mystery series. However there's a fine romance winding through the series like a golden thread. I liked the lady from square one and was rooting for Lacey and her to get together. :-)

[Suzanne Adair]

Jo More, thanks for stopping by my blog. The Captain Lacey books are addicting, aren't they?

[Suzanne Adair]

Beebs, I know exactly how you feel. When I discovered Ashley Gardner, The Hanover Square Affair had just gone out of print from Berkeley. I read a library copy and was eager to find more of Lacey's adventures. I managed to purchase books 2 - 5 before they went out of print, too.

[Gennie]

I just found the Captain Lacey series and was so worried that there wouldn't be any new ones. I'm already on book 5 and am so excited to continuing the series. Thank you for this wonderful article - I hope everyone learns about the books!

[Suzanne Adair]

Betty Hamilton, I assure you the books are great. :-) Thanks for commenting.

[Suzanne Adair]

Lucinda Canterbury, nice of you to stop by. I have a weakness for Bow Street Runners, too. It may be where the detective of my current series winds up. :-)

[Linda]

So did any of these groups work together to bring a criminal to justice or were they all so protective of their own "turf" that a criminal could simply slip from district to district raining havoc on the populace?

Thanks for a fascinating post, Ashley! I've grabbed The Hanover Square Affair for my Kindle and hope to read it soon.

[Suzanne Adair]

Gennie, When I discovered the Lacey series, there were only 5. I got to the end of #5 and wailed. Then Berkeley released the sixth one, and I scarfed it up. I, too, am glad that Ashley Gardner is keeping the series going.

[Suzanne Adair]

Linda, nice of you to visit my blog again! I emailed Ashley a few hours ago, asking her to pop in and answer questions. My guess was that the system worked both ways -- cooperation and proprietary -- because that's the way law enforcement agencies are now, suspicious of anyone stepping on their "turf." But let's see what Ashley says. Oh oh oh, if you ask about Bow Street Runners on the Crime Thru Time list, they'll give you lots of recommendations for reading. They like the Runners, too.

[Kim]

I have't read Jennifer Ashley's mysteries, only her Highlander's books. This sounds like an interesting series. I've always found the Bow Street Runners and Scotland Yard fascinating.

[Tracy Smith]

Suzanne, you know how much I love a good villain!

[Barbara]

I read the Bruce Alexander series about the era. Informative. Now a new author to read!

[jolie beaumont]

Thanks so much for this overview of the Regency era's crime solvers. It's one of the best that I've read - both accurate and to the point.

[Suzanne Adair]

Welcome,Kim. The Lacey series is pre-Scotland Yard, which I find fascinating.

[Suzanne Adair]

Tracy, like my series, the Lacey series contains a sociopathic series villain. Go for it. :-)

[Suzanne Adair]

Jolie Beaumont, welcome to my blog. Yes, Ashley's description of the different agencies is succinct. Don't you wish governments could be like that? :-)

Barbara, go for it. You won't be disappointed. Thanks for commenting.

[Marilyn E. Rothstein aka: M. E. kemp]

What a precise history of the "Runners" - as a Georgette Heyer fan (and Henry Fielding fan) I'd heard of them but didn't know their story. This looks like a series I'd enjoy. Marilyn aka: M. E. Kemp

[Suzanne Adair]

Hi Marilyn, nice to see you again. Ms. Gardner has done a terrific job of distilling the history of the Runners (and other agencies) down. And I know you'd enjoy this series.

[Ashley Gardner]

Hello all! Sorry I'm late to my own party, but I'm working on a deadline on a book that won't end!! :-) I'll come in and out, answering questions, so keep asking!

Thank you so much Suzanne, for hosting me!

[Ashley Gardner]

"So did any of these groups work together to bring a criminal to justice or were they all so protective of their own "turf" that a criminal could simply slip from district to district raining havoc on the populace?"

Both ways. They did work together sometimes, and the Runners could cross England to track down a culprit. But the Watch and the Runners often clashed--they didn't like each other! I want to explore the Watch more in upcoming books.

[Ashley Gardner]

"Enjoyed some of Bruce Alexander's series on Fielding:"

Yes! I did too. I was sorry when Bruce Alexander passed away, because I liked his portrayal of John Fielding. Good mysteries set in the early days of the Runners.

[Ashley Gardner]

A blanket THANK YOU! to those of you who have said you enjoyed the series (or my other books). Yes, the series will keep going! As long as it takes. I'm working on Book 8 right now (A Disappearance in Drury Lane).

[Ashley Gardner]

"[S]o successful that ... the merchant companies ... backed a bill to let the government take over". And then?"

The River police were run on the same system as the magistrate's houses (w/ the Runners) once the home office took over from the private merchants. They were folded into the Metropolitan police later. I'm doing more research on the River police as I go, because I like the character (Thompson) I created--want to use him more!

[Suzanne Adair]

Thank you for stopping by and responding to comments, Ashley.

More questions, folks? Sounds like we're all enjoying learning about the Bow Street Runners.

[Suzanne Adair]

Ashley, like you, I enjoy writing about a detective who doesn't have access to modern forensics. I also enjoy using my fiction to address conditions and issues that we deal with in the 21st century -- but I like seeing how people in the 18th century handle them.

Gabriel Lacey's melancholia (depression) was one of the traits about him that intrigued me in the earlier books of the series. He's exhibiting less of it in later books, with conditions in his life improving. Do you have plans to revisit his melacholia?

[Ashley Gardner]

"Gabriel Lacey's melancholia (depression) was one of the traits about him that intrigued me in the earlier books of the series"

Yes, I also enjoyed exploring a person with depression and PTSD in a time when no one acknowledged either one. Gabriel has had to muddle through pretty much on his own (though Louisa Brandon "gets" it and tries to help him). I show him improving as his life improves, but yes, I will continue to explore his emotional state. It's a big part of his character. Even Lady Breckenridge has sympathy for him, but she has her own way of expressing it. :-)

[Marjorie Gilbert]

What a fun post. Thank you for the information. I like learning about the pre-Peel police force...

[shirley nienkark]

Fascinating stuff. Definitely more fun than studying history in school.

[Karen H in NC]

While I am familiar with the author as Jennifer Ashley, I've only recently discovered Ashley Gardner and her Captain Lacey mystery series. I just finished reading The Hanover Square Affair and loved it. I don't have copies of books 2 or 3 yet, but will soon and look forward to reading the rest of the series. I'm a big fan of the Regency era and love not only the romances set in that time but now the mysteries too. Thanks to Ashley for hours of solid entertainment!