Tales From Bow Street

By Joan Lock

Bow Street Magistrates Court is justly famous as the birthplace of an efficient system of summary jurisdiction. Less well-known are some of the fascinating characters who have taken part in the court’s dramas over the years.

Most people know of the early pioneer stipendiary magistrates, Henry and John Fielding. But what of Nicholas Bond, the ambitious and devious Bow Street Runner, who (under John’s patronage) became a clerk of the court, and later a Bow Street Magistrate? And what of the “noted highwayman Hawke” who had escaped prison in 1774, and terrorised wealthy Londoners? Not to mention Mary Scroote, who brutally felled the man who refused her advances.

Tales from Bow Street is a gripping narrative of the history of London’s policing. Join Joan Lock as she delves into the criminal underworld of 18th century London, a city riddled with pick-pockets, prostitutes, highwaymen and murderers. From the hanging murders of the 1700s, through to Cold War espionage, and the birth of the 1950s policewoman, Lock’s book is rich in periodic detail, readable history and enlightening anecdotes.

Joan Lock is an author and former policewoman. Joan has also written short stories, radio plays, radio documentaries and eight crime novels. She lives in London.