FAGIN'S CHILDREN Criminal Children in Victorian England

Hardback. The author explores the harsh realities of child crime in 19th-century Britain, drawing parallels with Dickens’ 'Oliver Twist'. Using primary sources, it details the poverty and misery driving children to crimes like pickpocketing and burglary in industrial cities. The book examines the authorities’ responses, from brutal punishments like whipping, imprisonment in hulks, and transportation, to emerging rehabilitation efforts. While few children were hanged after 1800, their treatment was severe. The author highlights societal shifts toward reform, offering a vivid, well-researched account of Victorian childhood and crime. Illus., Notes, Bibliog. and Index. 258pp. lge. 8vo. h/back. F. in F. protected dw.