Londoners on Trial
Crime, Courts and the Public 1244-1924
A Curator's Introduction
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Curating ‘Londoners on Trial’
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Howard Doble, one of the curators of 'Londoners on Trial', explores the themes of the exhibition and how decisions were made about the inclusion of the content.
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Events
Discover and book events related to law and order, and crime, in London.
What's On
Dress and Deviance: Poverty, Crime and Clothing in 19th-Century England
Evening Talk
An interactive evening session with Dr Vivienne Richmond - exploring how clothing linked poverty, crime & punishment in 19th-century England. For the numerous poor clothing was a form of currency and, therefore, at the centre of much crime.
Tour
Curator-led exhibition tours
Londoners on Trial
Every month our curators will guide you through the exhibition exploring the lives of Londoners on Trial.
What's On
Law and Order in London
Walking Tour
This walking tour recounts London’s long and dark history of law and order from Roman London to the 21st century. It explores the sites of crimes, courts and incarcerations and tells the stories of criminals, victims and law enforcers.Practical information
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Stories
Discover blogs on subjects relating to crime and the courts which will be added to throughout the duration of the exhibition.
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The Three Trials of Oscar Wilde
Londoners on Trial
To mark LGBTQ+ History Month, we remember the events leading to the conviction of Oscar Wilde at the Old Bailey in 1895 which feature in the upcoming ‘Londoners on Trial’ exhibition opening at The London Archives on 9 March 2026.
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Minnie Pheby: a Victorian Lady Burglar
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Learn more about the life and crimes of Minnie Pheby, who burgled dozens of houses across West London between 1896 and 1900
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Fenian London: The Clerkenwell Explosion
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What was intended as a daring prison break became one of Victorian London’s deadliest political explosions. Find out more in this article by Rachel Barrett about the explosion in Clerkenwell of 1867.
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Jenny Diver
The life and crimes of an eighteenth-century pickpocket
Find out more about Jenny Diver, a pickpocket in eighteenth-century London.
Book Group
'Shrines of Gaiety' by Kate Atkinson
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Find out about The London Archives' book group in September 2025 where we discussed 'Shrines of Gaiety' by Kate Atkinson.
Article
Moll Cutpurse
London pickpocket and fence
Mary Frith (1584-1659), also known as Moll Cutpurse, is an early example of a celebrity villain. Intriguingly, it wasn’t her crimes alone that scandalised London, but her form of dress and habits – namely, that she dressed as a man. Find out more in this article.
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The fight that never was
Jack Johnson versus 'Bombardier' Billy Wells
Archives Officer Guy Baker tells the story of a boxing match that didn't take place - between Heavyweight champion of the world Jack Johnson and 'Bombardier' Billy Wells - and shows how parts of that story can be traced in records held at The London Archives.You might also like
Discover more about our collections relating to the history of crime in London.
