A survey of the social and economic conditions and events that gave Liverpool a reputation for being the most crime-ridden place in the country in the nineteenth century.

From dock theft to prostitution to the usual slew of alcohol-related offenses, Liverpool in the nineteenth century was "the black spot on the Mersey," with a distinct criminal landscape that included a high level of female offenders and armies of juvenile thieves. Using newspapers, autobiographies, and firsthand accounts, this book explores the social background that helped to create and sustain the high level and variety of crime and looks at how various institutions attempted to bring order to the streets. A mix of statistical analysis and accounts of criminal practice--from poaching to pocket-picking--"Liverpool"" Underworld" forms a fascinating account of the city's underworld.