Fiona Rule’s “The Worst Street in London”, which I read recently, is an interesting little book, describing the history of the once-notorious Spitalfields area and, in particular, of one nearby street. Dorset Street was built in 1674 to provide grand houses for silk weavers, declining over the decades into some of the city’s worst slum accommodation. Jack the Ripper murdered one of is victims there; even now, the street long demolished, the edifice that took its place “holds the fitting but dubious local reputation of being the most crime-ridden car park in London”.

The volume’s meanderings take in interesting anecdotes of London life over the ages. A paragraph describing the fate of three thieves inevitably caught my eye:

“Theft also carried a very wide range of punishments… The judge, no doubt hoping that a bit of public humiliation would make them see the error of their ways, sentenced them to be whipped.

Whilst being publicly flogged was hardly a pleasurable way to spend an afternoon, it was infinitely preferable to the fate of another thief [who was sentenced to] death.”

Before very long, criminals were being transported to the colonies (although women “were generally considered to be less of a threat to the public and therefore were often given corporal punishment for non-capital offences rather than being sentenced to transportation”). Those despatched to the West Indies or America included “a former cook for the Duke of Northumberland… a former barrister who supplemented his income by smuggling rare books out of university libraries to be sold on the black market and a gentleman who despite being independently wealthy got his kicks from stealing silver cutlery”.

Ah, now my imagination could run riot. There’d be the kleptomaniac daughter of a local nobleman, caught in the act by a shopkeeper. A search of her room would find numerous stolen items of lace. The judge would listen to her family’s pleas, and make one small concession for a girl of such high breeding: her fifty strokes of the birch would be administered in private.

Not so fortunate would be the maid from another household. She’d have ‘borrowed’ one of her lady’s dresses, masquerading as a gentlewoman to enter (and steal from) the silk shops. Her subterfuge would be uncovered and she’d be brought straight before the courts. “Guilty! Take her to the market place, strip the dress from her, and whip her very soundly…”