Victorian street urchins were children without homes who survived by begging, stealing, or odd jobs. They formed gangs with strict hierarchies, rules, and territories. Some controlled entire neighborhoods, “taxing” small tradesmen or collecting protection money. Pickpocketing and petty crime were common skills taught young. Despite harsh realities, street culture included camaraderie, invented games, and resourcefulness. Artists and writers romanticized the urchins’ daring, but reality was brutal. Some gangs had coded signals and secret meeting spots. This street society developed complex social structures outside adult supervision.
Street urchins demonstrate children’s adaptation to urban survival pressures.
It shows the hidden social order thriving beneath Victorian respectability.
Did you know some urchins created their own miniature economies using found coins, buttons, or scraps as currency?
[British Library, britishlibrary.uk]