London Gin Craze, c. 1700-1760

The history of crime has provided scholars with a diverse framework with which to interpret wider social issues, including class and gender. The literature surrounding London’s history is the most significant for any British city, with many publications examining the relationship between criminality, urbanisation and the formation of the lower classes. The existing historiography for the gin craze, however, is limited with only a few historians exploring its fundamental issues in any depth. These publications are limited further by their narrow approach, which predominantly focuses on the spirit trade, alcohol consumption, and the legislative attempts to control the epidemic. This project is filling a crucial gap in the historiography, which has so far failed to examine the influence of gin on crime. No other study has attempted to explain contemporary anxieties as a moral panic and, further, no one has sought to examine court records to establish the actual levels of criminal activit