https://birminghamdaily.co.uk/tags/thieftaker/Recent content in thieftaker on Birmingham DailyHugo -- gohugo.ioen-usSun, 26 Apr 2026 05:01:00 +0000https://birminghamdaily.co.uk/jonathan-wild-the-ruthless-kingpin-who-founded-british-gangland/Sun, 26 Apr 2026 05:01:00 +0000https://birminghamdaily.co.uk/jonathan-wild-the-ruthless-kingpin-who-founded-british-gangland/The popular TV series Peaky Blinders has sparked fascination with early 20th-century mobsters, but compared to the fictional Shelby family, one historical figure stands out as far more sinister: Jonathan Wild. Operating in the early 1700s, Wild controlled the underworld long before the Krays or Richardsons made their mark, earning him the notorious title of Britain’s original crime lord. Born in the quiet rural hamlet of Boningale near Wolverhampton around 1682–1683, Wild came from modest, honest beginnings.