Tales of Crime and Justice : The Origins of Thief Taker General Jonathan Wilde

1720 London, a man has just been robbed in a lone alleyway. He approaches the most famous Thief Taker in town, Jonathan Wilde and asks for his help in catching the criminal. Days later, Jonathan and his agents have found the valuables. They negotiate a price to release the goods and the man pays the robber in an anonymous meet out. Wilde only accepts a small fee in exchange for his services. Ah, what a noble man you think he is, a true giver of justice... but ask around and soon you will hear a different kind of story. One of that every criminal from the pickpockets to the wig stealers has a master. That master being Thief Taker General Jonathan Wilde himself...

Between 1680 and 1720, a new wave of crime had hit the streets of London. Capitalism meant an increase in manufactured goods that could easily be stolen and sold again. This very concept is what led to a new era of thievery. On top of that London at the time did not have a professional police force unlike neighboring France where the police force was a branch under the French military. In fact, London didn’t like the concept of a professional police force itself.

So, London depended on a system of watchmen, citizen arrests and thief takers. Thief takers were the bounty hunters of the time. Catching and convicting a criminal in the 1700’s meant that the government would pay you 40£ which today would be worth around 7000$. This is how Jonathan Wilde came to the scene.

March 1710, Jonathan Wilde is sent to the debtor prison Wood Street Compter, An apprentice buckle maker in his 20’s, he left his wife and child to pursue a job in London where he quickly lost that job and his bills started to rack up. Jails at the time were known for teaching the ways of crime. And so, Jonathan found himself immersed in the arts and skills of crime. He was soon familiar with the workings of London’s underworld. The language, the terms, everything! 




Prisons at the time were only meant for squeezing out profits. Not rehabilitation or confinement just profit. The prisoners had to pay their own jail’s rent and also pay for their own food. Prisoners who could not do so were sent to the beggar’s crate. Their earnings based on the mercy of passersby. The guards would often tie up citizens in chains and extort them for their release. But the guards liked Jonathan because of his charm and smarts. Thus he became an errand boy for the guards. Participating in their mechanisms of corruption. Shortly, he was let out at night to catch thiefs and just like that, after his release, he became a practiced operator. Wilde learnt from the very best from his time in prison and before long became a fence, buying stolen goods, removing any marks and reselling them. And while buying stolen goods wasn’t a crime, selling them definitely was which indicated that Wilde could pressure criminals into selling him the goods and if not sell them over to the authorities. 

Wilde developed a reputation and was becoming increasingly popular in the underworld as well as the city where citizens started appreciating his work.

And because of his good repute in the underworld. In a little while, a man by the name of Charles Hitchen
came to Jonathan. This man and his offer would turn around not only Jonathan’s life but his reputation in the underworld as well.

Charles, the Under Marshal of London, asked Jonathan Wilde...

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Stay tuned for Part Two of Tales of Crime and Justice : From Fence to Thief Taker General








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