Crime in Victorian London - The Realities of Charles Dickens

Discover what author Charles Dickens got right about Victorian crime, poverty and the workhouse, and how dangerous London really was.

Dickens portrayed a world of pickpockets, thieves, and child exploitation - with fictional characters such as Oliver Twist, Fagin, Bill Sikes and the Artful Dodger. Crime features heavily in his novel Oliver Twist with offences ranging from pickpocketing, burglary, and handling stolen goods, to violent assault and murder. But how accurate was this picture of Victorian crime?

Patrick Voss explores the real conditions behind the fiction, including the workhouse system, urban poverty, and the pressures of life in the largest city in the world. This talk will reveal how dangerous it was in Victorian London and why Dickens wrote so urgently about it.

About the speaker:

Patrick Voss is an award-winning Blue Badge Guide in London. As well as tours for those keen to explore more of the city, he is passionate about bringing history to life and showing not just what happened in the past, but how this still resonates today.

What to expect:

• The talk will last approximately 50-60 minutes followed by Q&A.

IMPORTANT: This talk will be taking place in-person only at The London Archives.

Visit our exhibition:

Before the talk you can visit our current exhibition Londoners On Trial: Crime, Courts and the Public 1244-1924, on display at The London Archives in Clerkenwell from 9 March 2026 to 25 February 2027. The exhibition is free to visit during normal opening hours, please check our website for details.