While the infamous Jack the Ripper and his legendary killing spree in the 19th century is the stuff of legends, few have heard of another forgotten assailant who terrorized the streets of London just a century before. Nevertheless, the actions of the so-called Monster of London sparked hysteria on the streets of London and even inspired a bizarre trend in bottom guards.
Active between 1788 and 1790, the villain attacked unaccompanied, fashionable and well-to-do women by stabbing them on their thighs, buttocks, breasts or face with a sharp object, such as a rapier or knife. Termed ‘piquerism’, a sexually motivated urge to penetrate someone’s skin with a sharp object, the perpetrators modus operandi morphed over time. At one stage he began hiding his weapon within a bunch of flowers, or nosegay, stabbing his victim in the nose as she leaned in to smell.
The whole sordid affair was brought to light by Jan Bondeson, whose chance discovery of a poster within the British Library set him off on a journey which culminated in his publication of the 2002 book The London Monster: A Sanguinary Tale . The first attack on record was against Maria Smyth, who had a nervous breakdown after being stabbed in the breast and thigh by the crazed Monster of London. By 1790, more than 50 people had been attacked, reporting a pattern of behavior which included loitering, stalking and stabbing, often accompanied by verbal abuse.
The Monster of London ended up attaining celebrity status, inspiring one well-meaning…
