During the 1840s the inhabitants of the Coggeshall area of Essex were terrorised by a gang of burglars. Using newspaper reports and also criminal and transportation records this book follows the Gangsters' careers from petty criminals to armed burglars who treated their victims with the utmost savagery. Upon conviction they were sent to Australia where three of them made their fortunes. Where possible "The Coggeshall Gang" tells their stories in their own words, and examines the penal and transportation systems of the Victorian era, as well as the social conditions of the time.