The Seven Curses of London

To certain squeamish readers this useful and well-written volume will prove an unsavoury book; and even to those who have the nerve to witness agony and explore the lurking-places of crime, it will occasion no ordinary sadness and sense of repugnance. Redolent with the unwholesome smell of ill-drained alleys and over-crowded dwellings for the poor, it resounds in every chapter with the cries of violence and the mutterings of woe ... [review of The Seven Curses of London from the Athenaeum, 1869]. The 'Curses' themselves are: 1. Neglected Children 2. Professional Thieves 3. Professional Beggars 4. Fallen Women 5. Drunkenness 6. Betting Gamblers 7. Waste of Charity. There is more of Greenwood's 'undercover' work, including a visit to a 'baby-farmer' — one of those women who advertised in the press to 'adopt' unwanted children for a fee (the fate of such unfortunates was often criminal abuse or neglect). Other vivid passages include interviews with convicts; begging-letter writers; harangues against the corrupting influence of penny dreadfuls (sample prose: "... pouting coral lips, in which a thousand tiny imps of love are lurking ..."); the unfortunate class of prostitutes known as 'dress-lodgers'; a full list of the ingredients used to adulterate beer ("... Multum is a mixture of opium and other ingredients, used to increase the intoxicating qualities of the liquor ... "); a survey of betting scams ("... Mr. Ben W. will forfeit £500 if he does not send first and second for the Chester Cup. Send four stamps and stamped envelope, and promise a present, and I will send you the Chester Cup, Great Northern, Derby, and Oaks winners ...") and a good deal more. All of these combine to paint a revealing picture of life in 1860s London, making this book worthy of your attention. (Amazon)