Solving Crime in the 18th century

Life under the Georgians was an interesting period of English history. George 1st, when he arrived from Hanover in 1714, spoke hardly any English. Power was slowly creeping from Monarchy to Parliament, though voting was highly selective and limited. The role of Prime Minister had not yet emerged. 

One problem was the huge national debt, built up during a series of European Wars.

The South Sea Company was seen in high places as a way to deal with this. But it was also a source of much corruption. 

And as the market scene shows, there was plenty more disruption at local level. With no police force to keep it all in check.

My story teller for these turbulent times is Lady Abigail Armstrong - though she's not a lady for long. When her husband is killed in a bizarre hunting accident, she has to find her own employment as well as trying to make sense of the incident. 

In those days, jobs for women outside the home were few and far between. Eventually, Abigail finds lodgings in Cheapside, a main street in the City of London. This linked St Paul's Cathedral to the businesses of the City - including the early stock exchange and the dubious South Sea company.

With no police force on hand, how could an ordinary person with little power investigate crime in the 1700s? 

For Abigail, it was largely a matter of following limited clues with the people she encountered, gradually building new friendships.

One place to do so was the Charter Fair, where all classes of society would mingle together - as depicted here on a lady's fan.

Another way of breaking through conventional class barriers was the theatre. The nearest major theatre to Cheapside was at the Lincoln's Inn Fields.  Apparently the Prince of Wales came occasionally. The audience was far from silent and interacted with the actors. Abigail was taken to plays there on several occasions.

At this time France was similarly plagued by debts, these caused by the wars of Louis XIV. John Law, an exiled Scotsman now roaming Europe with fresh ideas, persuaded the Regent who was appointed after Louis' death that he could help restore the French economy. His story was partly retold in the Memoirs of Liselotte, Duchess of Orleans, who was the Regent's mother. 

Stage one was to replace gold and silver coins with banknotes. 

In 1719, stage two was to re-energise the Mississippi Company in Louisiana so that its shares could help pay off the French national debt.