Oscar Wilde, ‘Moll Cutpurse’, Sylvia Pankhurst, and Dick Turpin are among the famous - and infamous - Londoners on trial in a free exhibition at The London Archives about crime and disorder in the capital between the thirteenth and twentieth centuries.

Victims, defendants, witnesses, and law enforcers will be brought together for ‘Londoners on Trial: Crime, Courts and the Public 1244 – 1924’, which opens at the City of London Corporation’s archives in Clerkenwell on 9 March.

The administration of justice was so important that it created a large network of criminal, civic, and religious courts with widespread jurisdiction over Londoners’ lives. They were constantly on trial, with the records of their crimes and punishments making up some of the largest archival collections at The London Archives.

With such a wealth of information at the curators’ fingertips, ‘Londoners on Trial: Crime, Courts and the Public 1244 – 1924’ will tell fascinating stories of those who found themselves in the dock, the stocks and ultimately, the cells, and at the end of a hangman’s noose - and those who put them there.

Alongside well-known figures such as Oscar Wilde and Sylvia Pankhurst, visitors to the exhibition will learn about some remarkable and often, much lesser known, individuals, including:

·       John Anthony, a Londoner of Chinese heritage who lived in the Georgian East End and acted as an interpreter at the Old Bailey

·       Moll Cutpurse, a seventeenth-century celebrity criminal and lynch pin of London’s underworld

·       William Anthony, one of the last of the nightwatchmen, born in 1789 and captured in a photograph from 1863

·       John Coleman, committed to hard labour for stealing currants from a garden in Edmonton in 1837

The exhibition will also trace the long history of the public’s fascination with true crime through publications and artworks portraying trials, criminals, and the police, including original artworks by Hogarth and Whistler.

Chairman of the City of London Corporation’s Culture, Heritage, and Libraries Committee, Brendan Barns, said:

“Our exhibitions at The London Archives never disappoint, not only by being free to view and accessible to everyone, but for how they are meticulously researched and presented with a strong emphasis on visually engaging material.

“Crime, criminality, and how people are punished for their offences, have always fascinated us, so this exhibition spanning nearly seven centuries of wrongdoing - from the reign of Henry III to the reign of George V - promises to be very compelling and thought-provoking.”

The London Archives is an integral part of the City of London Corporation’s rich and vibrant arts and cultural offering.

The organisation is one of the largest funders of heritage and cultural activities in the UK and invests over £130m every year. It manages a range of world-class cultural and heritage institutions, including the Barbican Centre, Tower Bridge, Guildhall School of Music & Drama, Guildhall Art Gallery, Guildhall Library, The London Archives, and Keats House. It also supports the London Symphony Orchestra and London Museum, which will open later this year.

ENDS

‘Londoners on Trial: Crime, Courts and the Public 1244 – 1924’ runs at The London Archives from 9 March 2026 to 25 February 2027. Admission FREE.

About the City of London Corporation:

The City of London Corporation is the governing body of the Square Mile dedicated to a vibrant and thriving City, supporting a diverse and sustainable London within a globally successful UK. www.cityoflondon.gov.uk

About The London Archives (TLA):

The London Archives (TLA), which is funded and managed by the City of London Corporation, focuses on the history of London. The documents and books that TLA cares for, and provides access to, date from 1067 to the present day and collections are constantly expanding. The archives are free to use and many of our exhibitions and events are free to attend.

The London Archives, 40 Northampton Road, London, EC1R 0HB The London Archives | London Archives

The London Archives is open to visitors at the following times:

• Monday - 10am to 4.30pm
• Tuesday - 10am to 6pm
• Wednesday - 10am to 7pm
• Thursday - 10am to 4.30pm

The London Archives is open one Saturday every month from 10am to 4.30pm – they are: 14 February, 14 March, 11 April, 9 May, and 13 June 2026.

Closed on Bank Holidays – please check Opening Times | London Archives for full details.