Enter the Forty Elephants, also known as the Forty Thieves, a gang so elusive and unusual that their exploits remained largely unspoken in the grand narratives of crime history. So pull up a chair, pour yourself a nice cuppa, and let me tell you about one of the most notorious yet strangely elegant gangs to have ever walked the cobbled streets of London.
They were the kind of gang that didn’t fit the usual mould of grizzled, hard-faced men wielding clubs and razors. No, these were women – clever, sophisticated, and utterly fearless. While names like the Peaky Blinders or the south London Richardson Gang might conjure images of violent street brawlers, the Forty Elephants ran an operation that was far more refined, yet no less formidable. These women built a crime syndicate that lasted over a century, outwitting police, shopkeepers, and even their male counterparts in the underworld.
The origins of the Forty Elephants
Their story begins in the shadowy corners of the 19th century, though their origins likely stretch even further back. The Forty Elephants took their name from the area they most frequently operated in, Elephant and Castle, in South London. Though records of their earliest activities are hazy, by the late 1800s, they had already gained a reputation that made even Scotland Yard sit up and pay attention.
Unlike the usual street gangs, they didn’t rely on brute force. Instead, they used intelligence, strategic planning and societal expectations to their advantage. At their peak, the gang had over 70 active members, all of whom were women. Their primary operation? High-class shoplifting, or as the newspapers of the day called it, ‘hoisting’.
The art of shoplifting
Now, these weren’t your average pickpockets. The Forty Elephants were professionals. Their game was simple yet genius – using their appearance as well-dressed, respectable ladies they waltzed into the finest shops in London and walked out with thousands of pounds’ worth of stolen goods. They wore specially tailored clothing with hidden pockets and folds, allowing them to conceal jewellery, silks and perfumes without so much as a wrinkle of suspicion. These ladies could smile at a shopkeeper, make idle chit-chat, and leave with their pockets lined with stolen diamonds, all before their unsuspecting victims even realised something was amiss.
As their reputation in London grew, the Forty Elephants found it increasingly difficult to operate unnoticed in their usual hunting grounds. To counter this, they expanded their operations beyond the capital, targeting locations where security was often more lax. These excursions allowed them to continue their heists without drawing immediate attention. The transient nature of their crimes made it difficult for local authorities to track them, further ensuring their continued success.
The reign of Alice Diamond
While many women played crucial roles in the gang, one name stands out above the rest: Alice Diamond. Known as ‘Diamond Annie’, she was the Queen of the Forty Elephants, leading them into their most lucrative period during the early 20th century. Over six feet tall with a grip like an iron vice, she ruled the gang with an iron fist, sometimes quite literally, as she was known for wearing diamond rings across her knuckles, ready to use them as a makeshift weapon in a scrap.
Under Diamond’s leadership, the Forty Elephants expanded their activities into rural and seaside towns. Their growing reputation alone was often enough to send a ripple of fear through high-end retailers, sometimes eliminating the need for secrecy altogether. With her reign also came a growing propensity for violence. Unlike the gang’s earlier years, Diamond introduced a more aggressive approach. Those who crossed the Forty Elephants often found themselves on the receiving end of brutal beatings, whether they were independent shoplifters operating on their turf or store owners who resisted.
Fast cash and fast cars
In addition to shoplifting, the gang was highly versatile in its criminal pursuits. Members posed as housemaids in wealthy households, securing employment with fake references before looting the homes when the owners were away. They also engaged in blackmail, seducing influential men into short-lived affairs and later extorting them with threats of public disgrace.
As the 20th century progressed, so did the Forty Elephants’ methods. They adapted to new technologies, acquiring fast cars capable of outrunning the police and using the railway system to transport stolen goods discreetly. With stolen clothing, jewellery, and other high-value items, they established a vast network of fences, pawnbrokers and street traders to offload their loot. Some even sold the stolen clothing to other retailers, who would rebrand the items and sell them as their own.
Despite numerous arrests over the years, convictions were often short-lived. Members used suspect ledgers and forged receipts to claim that the goods in their possession had been acquired legally. Their ability to navigate the justice system, combined with their discreet and calculated approach to crime, contributed to their impressive longevity.
The fall of the Forty Elephants
But, as with all criminal empires, the golden days couldn’t last forever. The increased efficiency of the police force, coupled with changes in shop security and surveillance, began to close in on the Forty Elephants. Diamond herself was finally brought down in 1925, sentenced to hard labour for her crimes. Even so, the gang’s activities continued for decades. Other figures took the reins, women like Maggie Hughes, who kept the operation running through the post-war years. Yet the writing was on the wall. The old methods weren’t working as well, which meant that the game was nearly up.
By the 1960s, one of Diamond’s protégées, Shirley Pitts, had taken the reins. By this time, advances in security made traditional shoplifting more challenging, but the gang adapted once again. Pitts expanded their operations into Europe and diversified into fraud. She was also known for her ingenious ‘magic bags’, which were lined with tin foil to bypass security sensors, allowing her to loot high-end stores such as Harrods, Harvey Nichols and Selfridges.
Despite their continued success, the gang’s influence gradually declined. When Pitts passed away in 1992, the Forty Elephants disbanded for good. Her funeral was a testament to her status in the underworld, attended by notorious criminals such as Buster Edwards, with condolences sent by the Kray twins and Ronnie Knight. A floral tribute at her funeral read “Gone Shopping”, a humorous nod to the words she would use when she went out to ‘work’.
The legacy of the Forty Elephants
You have to admire them, in a way. Not for their crimes, of course, but for the sheer audacity of it all. They were women who refused to be bound by the expectations of their time, who carved out power for themselves in a world that sought to keep them in the shadows. They were rebels, outlaws and, in their own peculiar way, pioneers.
So there you have it. The Forty Elephants, a gang of women who defied the odds, outsmarted the law, and left behind a legend that still lingers in the smoky corners of London’s past. Now, what do you say to another cup of tea?
