Londoners on Trial
Crime, Courts and the Public 1244-1924
Events
Discover and book events related to law and order, and crime, in London.
Tour
Curator-led exhibition tours - April
Exhibition tour
Every month our curators will guide you through the exhibition exploring the lives of Londoners on Trial.
What's On
Crime and Justice in 18th and 19th century South London
Talk
Join Dr Kiran Mehta to explore the crimes people typically committed in London in 18th and early 19th centuries, and what happened next.
What's On
Crime and the London Rare Book Trade 1890 - 1930
Evening Talk
Join an evening talk by Dr Laura Cleaver and discover how early 1900s fiction detectives and real cases reveal London life, book trade workings, and views on rare books through crime stories.
What's On
The Police Outrage - A Killing, a Coverup and a Campaign for Justice in Nineteenth-Century London
Evening Talk
Join Dr Jonah Miller to explore a forgotten episode in the early history of British policing.Practical information
Visit us
Visit us
Visit us
Stories
Discover blogs on subjects relating to crime and the courts which will be added to throughout the duration of the exhibition.
Long read
The Three Trials of Oscar Wilde
Londoners on Trial
To mark LGBTQ+ History Month, we remember the events leading to the conviction of Oscar Wilde at the Old Bailey in 1895 which feature in the upcoming ‘Londoners on Trial’ exhibition opening at The London Archives on 9 March 2026.
Long read
Minnie Pheby: a Victorian Lady Burglar
Learn more
Learn more about the life and crimes of Minnie Pheby, who burgled dozens of houses across West London between 1896 and 1900
Long read
Fenian London: The Clerkenwell Explosion
Find out more
What was intended as a daring prison break became one of Victorian London’s deadliest political explosions. Find out more in this article by Rachel Barrett about the explosion in Clerkenwell of 1867.
Book Group
'Shrines of Gaiety' by Kate Atkinson
Find out more
Find out about The London Archives' book group in September 2025 where we discussed 'Shrines of Gaiety' by Kate Atkinson.
Long read
The fight that never was
Jack Johnson versus 'Bombardier' Billy Wells
Archives Officer Guy Baker tells the story of a boxing match that didn't take place - between Heavyweight champion of the world Jack Johnson and 'Bombardier' Billy Wells - and shows how parts of that story can be traced in records held at The London Archives.You might also like
Discover more about our collections relating to the history of crime in London.
