The Regency Underworld

by Donald A. Low

Alongside the world of Pride and Prejudice and the Nature poets of Constable and Nash, there also existed a pulsating underworld where crime and vice of every kind flourished. Venture into this forgotten world and discover a vivid picture of pleasure-seekers, criminals and body snatchers at work. This revised edition has a new introduction by the author, who has also re-illustrated the volume with a variety of contemporary prints, portraits and cartoons to bring the period between from 1800-1830 and its characters to life.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Research, Regency, British Literature, True Crime, 19th Century

205 pages, Paperback

Published January 1, 2000

Reviews

[Abigail Bok · Rating 4 out of 5]

Do you have a secret fascination with the seamy side of Regency life? Ever wondered what the vast numbers of poor people were doing while the ton was dancing at Almack’s? Then this is the book for you.

Donald Low’s book The Regency Underworld focuses on the overlooked side of life in London in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries (the term Regency is interpreted broadly). The style is one of scholarly rigor without the daunting apparatus of annotation or jargon (there is a useful bibliographic appendix for those who want to delve deeper). It’s very readable, and my only knock would be that it is episodic, treating selected topics rather than pursuing a comprehensive strategy.

The period from 1780 to 1830 (and a bit beyond) was one of horrendous overcrowding and uncontrolled population growth in the metropolis, a place ill-prepared for the onslaught of poor people seeking opportunity. There were no provisions to care for the indigent and scant means of advancement available. The result was an extraordinary level of lawlessness and predation on those with means.

The first chapter focuses on the controversies surrounding the development of a coordinated police force, and it has interesting echoes of conversations about policing in the USA today. From there Low moves on to the “nurseries of crime,” the houses and neighborhoods where children were trained from the earliest age in picking pockets and other forms of thievery. Talk about a transactional culture! There is a ghoulish section on the people who dug up cadavers (and sometimes even made their own) to sell to doctors interested in pursuing the science of anatomy. Then he talks of how young men from the gentry and aristocracy moved between the haut monde and criminal circles, and the fashion for learning the cant of the underworld, with a separate chapter on how gambling penetrated the barriers between the fashionable world and that of the charlatan. Finally, there’s a colorful little chapter that offers anecdotes of a range of rule breakers, from a notorious bigamist and swindler to the infamous courtesan Harriette Wilson.

Some of the details were familiar to me but the author presents his material in a way that gives a clear sense of the culture of London, high and low. The book is brief, about 200 pages of large type, and never gets too far into the weeds. Recommended.

[Elin Eriksen · Rating 5 out of 5]

An informative and entertaining book about London's underworld of criminals and depraved gentlemen from 1800-1830.
Detailed and speciffic with satirical drawings and etchings from the time period.

I highly recommend it, especially for writers of the time period.

(2021-2)

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's a sad truth when, having finished Low's work, I realize that I've learned more about thieves' cant, resurrection men, cracksmen, and the like from the better-researched romance novels than I did The Regency Underworld. Low touches on many fascinating topics, but largely sticks to the surface level or segues off into discussions of famous Regency personalities who seem out of place here. Overall, it's moderately entertaining stuff, if a bit drily written, but Low's no Virgil, and one can't help but wonder how this Underworld might have read with a better guide.

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

I know very little about Regency England so this book was an eye opener for me. It truly was not a great time to live especially if you were poor. Gin, gambling and a class structure that still endures today. Albeit not as strong. Resurrection men, Royal philandering and sentenced to death for stealing almost anything. I liked the last chapter the best with the description of four famous characters and their stories.

[Barbara Monajem · Rating 5 out of 5]

I bought this book for research purposes but ended up just enjoying it for itself. It's full of fun, fascinating info about the Regency era.

[Ruth · Rating 3 out of 5]

c2005.Really readable with a slightly different focus to some of the other books of the same ilk. There are a few illustrative plates but they could have been slightly bigger as the detail (which makes them pertinent and interesting) could not be seen easily. Plenty of references and thankfully most of the quotes had been 'decoded' into understandable language. Recommended to the history buffs among the normal crew. "Owing money to a Jew was bad enough, but the presence of a Jewish rival in the trade was intolerable to the Borough boys."

[Kim · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read this for researching my historical fiction WIP. It is a little dry, but is a good overview of the various vices of the time. The most amusing parts were toward the end, when the crimes detailed weren't the lower-class thievery and roughhousing, but instead more mannered, complicated exploits related to bigamy, forgery, embezzlement, affairs of convenience and blackmail (naturally involving royalty and nobility). It also provides an extensive reading list at the end for people who want to explore Regency England in depth.

[Fern F · Rating 4 out of 5]

Donald Low's "The Regency Underworld" is a short but informative look at this often unexplored aspect of history in any time period, but especially the Regency. I do wish more time was spent on, for instance, the various different types of underworlds; Low dedicates a chapter to gambling, but not one to prostitution for instance. There's a lot about setting up police forces, such as the Bow Street runners, which is interesting but not as entertaining (or horrifying) as the sections that focus on people behaving badly.

[Jeanne McElvaney · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved getting past the glitter and manners. Added rich information to my passion for this era.

[Marsha Altman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not as interesting as the title makes it sound. More no the edge of straight facts and statistics, but boy is there a lot of useful information in this book, even if it's not as narratively presented as more modern history books on the same subject. I recommend starting at books written on this topic in the 1990's and up for a smoother read, then going here for cold information. On the other hand, still manages to be pretty interesting even when it's dry.

[Wendy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an interesting read, but it really did not have a wealth of information if readers are already well familiar with the regency era through other books (whether history, historical romance, etc.). I thought it was fairly engaging (it is a textbook, so in terms of textbooks, it was easier to read than most but definately not as engaging as a fiction book).

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love the Regency. It's the time of Jane Austen. Of course this book is as far from Jane Austen as the moon is from earth.

[Elaine Toft · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very Interesting

[Angelyn Schmid · Rating 3 out of 5]

Corinthian Tom and country cousin Jerry. "Young thieves, body-snatchers and gamblers." They are all here.

A wonderful resource for those interested in the underbelly of the Regency.

[Aimée · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is full of information. Not a book that keeps you on the edge of your seat or anything, but darn useful!