'Towards the end of the reign [of Elizabeth I], in spite of the
stringent acts against vagrancy, the country swarmed with rogues and
beggars-vagabonds who laid the farmers under contribution, and
terrified all honest folk out of their lives.
In London crime was rampant. Even then it had its organization;
there were houses which harboured thieves, in which schools were
maintained for the education of young pickpockets.
Maitland tells us that in the spring of 1585, Fleetwood the recorder
with several other magistrates searched the town and discovered
seven houses of entertainment for felons.
They found also that one Walton, a gentleman born, once a prosperous
merchant, "but fallen into decay," who had kept an alehouse which
had been put down, had begun a "new business." He opened his house
for the reception of all the cut-purses in and about the city. In
this house was a room to learn young boys to cut purses. Two devices
were hung up; one was a pocket, the other was a purse. The pocket
had in it certain counters, and was hung round with hawk's bells,
and over them hung a little sacring bell. The purse had silver in
it, and he that could take out a counter without any noise was
allowed to be a public foyster; and he that could take a piece of
silver out of the purse without noise of any of the bells was
adjudged a clever nypper.'