Podcast
Questions and Answers
The Disney+ drama A Thousand Blows transports viewers to 1880s London, showcasing the violent underworld and the all-female crime syndicate known as the ______.
The Disney+ drama A Thousand Blows transports viewers to 1880s London, showcasing the violent underworld and the all-female crime syndicate known as the ______.
Forty Elephants
The Forty Elephants were also known as the Forty ______.
The Forty Elephants were also known as the Forty ______.
Thieves
The first mention of the Forty Elephants in newspapers appeared in ______.
The first mention of the Forty Elephants in newspapers appeared in ______.
1873
The Forty Elephants used the fashions of the time to their advantage, using multi-layered clothing and accessories to conceal ______ goods.
The Forty Elephants used the fashions of the time to their advantage, using multi-layered clothing and accessories to conceal ______ goods.
The Forty Elephants tailored their dresses and sewed hidden pockets into their ______ to conceal their loot.
The Forty Elephants tailored their dresses and sewed hidden pockets into their ______ to conceal their loot.
The Forty Elephants likely took their name from the district they operated from: ______ and Castle, in South London.
The Forty Elephants likely took their name from the district they operated from: ______ and Castle, in South London.
One of the gang’s main strengths was their skill at ‘______’ – a term for reselling – the goods they shoplifted.
One of the gang’s main strengths was their skill at ‘______’ – a term for reselling – the goods they shoplifted.
[Blank] Carr is one of the central characters in A Thousand Blows and was one of the gang’s first leaders.
[Blank] Carr is one of the central characters in A Thousand Blows and was one of the gang’s first leaders.
Mary Carr enforced discipline and turned her home, 118 Stamford Street in south London, into the gang’s first base of ______.
Mary Carr enforced discipline and turned her home, 118 Stamford Street in south London, into the gang’s first base of ______.
Carr was jailed in 1896 for ______.
Carr was jailed in 1896 for ______.
Prize fighting was made illegal in England in ______.
Prize fighting was made illegal in England in ______.
Around the same time Mary Carr was jailed in 1896, another gang leader was born: Alice Diamond, later nicknamed Diamond ______.
Around the same time Mary Carr was jailed in 1896, another gang leader was born: Alice Diamond, later nicknamed Diamond ______.
Alice Diamond was a high-living criminal who specialized in targeting posh ______.
Alice Diamond was a high-living criminal who specialized in targeting posh ______.
The Forty Elephants carried out a series of jewel heists during Diamond’s leadership, where they posed as ______ at high-society events.
The Forty Elephants carried out a series of jewel heists during Diamond’s leadership, where they posed as ______ at high-society events.
Diamond was finally arrested in ______, with the media reporting every twist and turn of the trial, highlighting Diamond’s impressive levels of organization and control.
Diamond was finally arrested in ______, with the media reporting every twist and turn of the trial, highlighting Diamond’s impressive levels of organization and control.
At the conclusion of Alice Diamond’s trial, the Daily Express wrote that “The ______ smashed up the gang when they trapped the ‘queen.’
At the conclusion of Alice Diamond’s trial, the Daily Express wrote that “The ______ smashed up the gang when they trapped the ‘queen.’
After Alice Diamond was jailed, a new Queen, Lillian Rose ______, eventually took charge.
After Alice Diamond was jailed, a new Queen, Lillian Rose ______, eventually took charge.
The Forty Elephants had all but vanished by the ______.
The Forty Elephants had all but vanished by the ______.
The Forty Elephants were allied with separate ______-led gangs but were largely independent with strict rules and a clear hierarchy.
The Forty Elephants were allied with separate ______-led gangs but were largely independent with strict rules and a clear hierarchy.
The Forty Elephants sometimes averted suspicion by pretending to be ______-class women.
The Forty Elephants sometimes averted suspicion by pretending to be ______-class women.
Sensational trials took place when the gang was implicated in the 1895 abduction of a traveller child, Michael ______.
Sensational trials took place when the gang was implicated in the 1895 abduction of a traveller child, Michael ______.
Lloyd’s Weekly Newspaper described Mary Carr as being ‘noted for her good looks and engaging manners [who] managed to get round her a gang of young women who gave her complete ______ as their leader.’
Lloyd’s Weekly Newspaper described Mary Carr as being ‘noted for her good looks and engaging manners [who] managed to get round her a gang of young women who gave her complete ______ as their leader.’
By the time she was 17, Diamond Annie already had a string of ______ convictions and in early in WW1 she was arrested for using fake ID to gain access to an ammunition factory.
By the time she was 17, Diamond Annie already had a string of ______ convictions and in early in WW1 she was arrested for using fake ID to gain access to an ammunition factory.
The Forty Elephants were rocked by the rise of new, more ______ gangs during the Great Depression, and also saw their number dwindle during World War II.
The Forty Elephants were rocked by the rise of new, more ______ gangs during the Great Depression, and also saw their number dwindle during World War II.
The Forty Elephants empire spanned all of London, and even some neighboring ______.
The Forty Elephants empire spanned all of London, and even some neighboring ______.
Flashcards
Who were the Forty Elephants?
Who were the Forty Elephants?
A real, all-female crime gang operating in London from 1873 to the mid-20th century.
How did the Forty Elephants conceal stolen goods?
How did the Forty Elephants conceal stolen goods?
They exploited layered clothing (skirts, bustles) to conceal stolen goods from high-end department stores, even tailoring dresses and hats for this purpose.
What does 'fencing' mean in the context of the Forty Elephants?
What does 'fencing' mean in the context of the Forty Elephants?
Reselling shoplifted items through a network of fences, including street market traders, pawnbrokers, and shady shops.
Who was Mary Carr?
Who was Mary Carr?
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Where was the Forty Elephants first base of operations?
Where was the Forty Elephants first base of operations?
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What type of boxing links to the Forty Elephants?
What type of boxing links to the Forty Elephants?
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Who was Diamond Annie?
Who was Diamond Annie?
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How did the Forty Elephants conduct jewel heists?
How did the Forty Elephants conduct jewel heists?
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How was Diamond Annie caught?
How was Diamond Annie caught?
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What happened to the Forty Elephants after Alice Diamond's trial?
What happened to the Forty Elephants after Alice Diamond's trial?
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Study Notes
- The Forty Elephants were a real, all-female crime gang in London, also known as the Forty Thieves.
- The gang operated from 1873 until the mid-20th century.
- The Forty Elephants creatively used the multi-layered fashions of the late 1800s and early 1900s to hide stolen goods.
- They tailored dresses with hidden pockets in skirts and hats to conceal loot from high-end department stores.
- The gang was allied with male gangs, operating independently with a hierarchy and strict rules.
Origin of the Name
- Likely named after the Elephant and Castle district in South London, where they operated.
- The "Forty" may refer to the number of women in the gang.
- Operated throughout London and neighboring towns.
- They were skilled at "fencing" (reselling) shoplifted goods through a chain of contacts.
- Cheap items went to street markets, jewelry to pawnbrokers, and clothes to shops that remodeled designs.
Mary Carr: The First Leader
- Central figure in "A Thousand Blows" and one of the gang's original leaders.
- Known for her looks and manners, she organized young women into an obedient group.
- Carr turned petty thieves into a well-organized operation.
- She enforced discipline and used her home at 118 Stamford Street as the gang's base.
- The gang faced scrutiny and sensational trials, including being implicated in the 1895 abduction and attack of a rival.
- Carr was jailed in 1896 for kidnapping and was known as the "Queen of the Forty Thieves."
Links to Victorian Boxing
- Prize fighting, though illegal, was interwoven with gang activity.
- The Forty Elephants likely had some involvement in underground boxing due to its illegality and gang connections.
Alice "Diamond Annie" Diamond
- Born around the time of Mary Carr’s jailing, becoming the new "queen" by 1915 at age 19.
- By 17, she had multiple thievery convictions.
- Early in WW1 was arrested for using fake ID to gain access to an ammunition factory, possibly trying to procure explosives with which to explode safes.
- Diamond specialized in targeting posh shops and led the gang in department store thefts and jewel heists.
- The gang posed as guests at high-society events to pickpocket jewelry and gather information for burglaries.
- Diamond was arrested in 1925, with media coverage highlighting her organization and control.
Decline and Dissolution
- After Diamond's trial, the gang began to decline but didn't cease.
- A new leader, Lillian Rose Kendall, took over, but the gang was impacted by violent gangs during the Great Depression and dwindling numbers during World War II.
- The Forty Elephants had all but vanished by the 1950s.
- The gang demonstrated that women could establish their own roles in the criminal world, even during strict gender norms.
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Description
Explore the history of the Forty Elephants, an all-female crime gang in London from 1873 to the mid-20th century. Learn about their creative methods of concealing stolen goods and their operations throughout London. Discover how they cleverly used fashion to hide loot and resell shoplifted items.
