5. Burglars held a special place in the British public’s imagination
An old English proverb holds that “An Englishman’s home is his castle”. A basis of British (and American) common law for centuries, it provides that the home is a sanctuary, a safe haven from dangers from either the criminal or the policeman. Within the walls of his castle, an Englishman can expect to be safe, secure, and allowed to defend his home and hearth against any and all intruders. Burglars and housebreakers violate this most sacred of British laws; their trespasses belie the sense of security which makes one’s home a home. Yet, a certain sense of admiration has been applied to burglary in the past, particularly those which occurred without any personal harm to the occupants of the home. Newspaper reports used words such as “daring”, “skillful”, and “ingenious”, in describing illegal entries. “Outwitting” pursuit was another frequent descriptive term.
Barely concealed references admiring the “athleticism” of burglars who gained entry to houses via upstairs windows or through attic vents pepper the newspaper reports of Victorian burglaries. They stress the requirements for physical strength, the balance and agility of circus acrobats, the ability to move with stealth and grace. Though burglars violated the inner sanctum of British society, they did so with an aplomb which rendered them a formidable adversary, particularly when they left befuddled policemen in their wake. The popularity of the Victorian detective Sherlock Holmes built, in part, on the image of burglars created by the press. In the public mind, burglars were not mere petty criminals. They were men of wit, physical strength, fearlessness, athleticism and daring. But most importantly, they were men. To the Victorian mind, women were simply too fragile and helpless to commit such daring deeds, not to mention their morality.