VICTORIAN UNDERWORLD

Discover the gangs that lurked down the dark alleys of 19th century Britain

- Dr Michala Hulme

On 23 April 1892, 16-year-old William Willan and his gang were lying in wait for Peter Kennedy, a rival gang member, outside the mill where Kennedy worked. When Kennedy saw them, he tried to escape but was soon chased down by the dozen youths armed with makeshift weapons. Willan was a scuttler, a youth street gang that had terrorised the working-class districts of Manchester and Salford and had tested the governing authorities for over two decades. The name ‘scuttlers’ was a collective term for these violent ruffians. Individually, the gangs were named after the roads they lived on. Using weapons such as pieces of wood studded with nails, broken bottles, belts and knives, the gangs would fight predominately over territory and girls.

Willan’s gang had been embroiled in a bitter feud with a rival outfit for over a month before this confrontation. Some weeks previous, he claimed that he’d been attacked by one of Kennedy’s allies, prompting him to now retaliate by stabbing Kennedy in the side. After delivering the mortal blow, Willan wiped the blood off the knife and handed it to an accomplice, and the group fled the scene. Kennedy survived for eight days after the stabbing before succumbing to his injuries, leading to Willan’s arrest and subsequent trial.

Willan held the title of King of the Bradford Street Scuttlers — a badge of honour for a scuttler who’d proven himself as a fearless leader and skilled fighter. For these young gang members, loyalty ran deep; they saw each other as family, with a fierce King of Scuttlers at the helm, defending them against rival gangs, the authorities and the police.