Victorian-era murder rates 7 times higher than present

Murder rates in Victorian-era Ireland were seven times higher than present day, according to the analysis of colourful police records that have been made available by a family history website.

Ancestry.ie today publishes the Ireland Police Gazettes, 1861-1893, records which have been extracted from Hue and Cry, the official publication of the Royal Irish Constabulary which operated from 1814-1922.

Ancestry said its analysis of the collection has shown that assault was the most common crime over the 32-year period with 28,353 cases reported, followed by reports of breaking of licence conditions (28,092 cases) and of theft (23,345 incidences).