Why You Could Legally Kill Criminals in Old London! Crime & Punishment in London

Macabre London

Apr 22, 2025•29 min

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Episode description

Before London had the Met, it had chaos.

In this episode of Macabre London, we uncover the strange and often deadly story of how policing began in the city—from the drunken "Charlies" who fell asleep on the job, to the terrifyingly informal Hue and Cry system that let ordinary citizens legally execute criminals on sight. And let's not forget Jonathan Wild: the man who invented organised crime while pretending to be its biggest enemy.

Join me as we dig into the murky underworld of Georgian crime, shady law enforcement, the wilderness years of the gin craze and how all of this laid the foundation for modern policing... even if that foundation was built on fear, corruption, and a lot of laudanum.

Todays episode is sponsored by London Nootropics. Be sure to check them out at www.londonnootropics.com and use my code "MACABRE" for 20% off your order or subscription.

#MacabreLondon #TrueCrime #HistoryPodcast #LondonHistory #GeorgianCrime #PoliceHistory #DarkHistory #JonathanWild #TyburnTree

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🔪 If you love British true crime, unsolved mysteries, and historical murders, don’t miss this episode!

Also available wherever you get your podcasts: https://podfollow.com/macabrelondon

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Be sure to check out my other podcast, Killers, Cults & Queens https://podfollow.com/queens

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