Gangs of Manchester: The story of James Cowan and William Willan
In the late 19th century, Manchester was a city of booming industry, but also of extreme poverty and crime. The rapid expansion of mills and factories brought a surge in population, and with it, overcrowded slums where violence became a part of daily life. Gangs roamed the streets, carving out territories and engaging in bloody turf wars. Among the most notorious were the Bengal Tigers from Bengal Street in Ancoats, the Meadow Lads from Angel Meadow, and the Grey Mare Boys from Grey Mare Lane in Bradford, Manchester.
These young gang members were known as scuttlers, instantly recognizable by the distinctive neckerchiefs they wore—each gang adopting its own color and style. One of the most feared and powerful gangs of the era, the Bengal Tigers, operated in Ancoats in the mid-1880s. Our maternal great-grandfather, James Cowan, was a member.
James Cowan: A Bengal Tiger
James Cowan was born in 1873 into a large working-class family. He was one of seven children, though two of his siblings did not survive infancy—a stark reminder of Manchester’s high mortality rates at the time. By 1891, James and his family were living on Primrose Street, Ancoats, just one street away from Bengal Street, the heart of the Bengal Tigers’ territory. Like many young men in the area, he worked in the textile industry as a cotton dyer.
The Other Half of the Story: William Willan and the Bradford Street Scuttlers
Meanwhile, William Willan, born in 1875, was also drawn into Manchester’s violent gang culture. He was the eldest son of Hannah Jane Spencer (our 2x great-aunt) and George Willan. Raised in the same harsh environment, William became a member of the Bradford Street Scuttlers, another fierce gang.
By 1892, tensions between rival gangs were reaching boiling point. One of the most bitter rivalries was between the Bradford Street gang and the Lime Street gang. The ongoing hostilities led to a series of violent encounters, culminating in a tragic event on Saturday, April 17, 1892.
The Fatal Encounter
At just 16 years old, William Willan held a deep grudge against another 16-year-old, Peter Kennedy, a member of the Lime Street gang. The two had clashed before, and in a city where crossing into enemy territory could mean a fight—or worse—Kennedy’s daily commute to work took him straight through Ancoats, Bengal Tiger territory.
Aware of the danger, Peter arranged to walk home with four friends that afternoon. To bolster their safety, they were also joined by 19-year-old James Cowan, our great-grandfather. His presence as a Bengal Tiger was meant to offer protection as they passed through the rival gang’s stronghold.
However, as the group reached the corner of Mill Street and Great Ancoats Street, they were confronted by William Willan. In the ensuing altercation, William fatally stabbed Peter Kennedy.
Kennedy succumbed to his wounds two weeks later
Justice and Betrayal
William Willan was quickly arrested. Once Kennedy died, the charge against him was elevated to murder. However, what made this case particularly unusual was that members of his own gang testified against him. Gang fights were common, but there was an unspoken rule—maim, don’t kill. Willan had broken that code.
Among the key witnesses for the prosecution was James Cowan, our great-grandfather. His testimony would play a role in securing Willan’s conviction.
Found guilty, William Willan was sentenced to death. He was sent to Strangeways Prison, where he awaited execution in the condemned cell.
North Devon Gazette 24 May 1892
Oxfordshire Weekly News 25 May 1892
Manchester Times 3 June 1892
Aberdeen Press and Journal 1 June 1892
Penrith Observer 17 May 1892
A Plea for Mercy: The Fight to Save William Willan
The case of William Willan received widespread attention across England. Newspapers followed every detail, and the people of Manchester, particularly in the slum districts of Ancoats, were deeply invested in the outcome. At the heart of the fight for William’s life was his mother, Hannah Willan, a formidable woman who refused to accept that her son should hang.
On Monday, May 23, 1892, a solicitor was instructed to prepare a petition for clemency. The petition not only emphasized William’s youth—he was just 16—but also raised doubts about whether he had been the one to wield the fatal knife, as several gang members had been involved in the attack.
Support for the plea was overwhelming. Thousands of people across Ancoats and the surrounding slums signed the five copies of the petition, a remarkable show of solidarity in an era when capital punishment was rarely questioned.
An Appeal to Jerome Caminada
One of the most extraordinary twists in the case came when Jerome Caminada, Manchester’s legendary detective, was drawn into the campaign. Caminada had not been involved in the original investigation, but William requested to see him in Strangeways Prison. The detective later wrote in his memoirs that the scene haunted him for the rest of his life:
“The poor lad put his arms through the bars and implored me to save him, as tears ran down his face.”
As Caminada left the prison that day, he encountered a woman standing outside with a shawl draped over her head—William’s mother, Hannah. She, too, begged him to help her son. Moved by the desperate pleas of both mother and child, Caminada joined the campaign for a reprieve.
A Last-Minute Reprieve
On May 30, 1892, just days before his scheduled execution, William Willan’s death sentence was commuted to life imprisonment. It was a rare victory in an era when public executions had only recently been abolished, and justice was often swift and unforgiving.
William served eight years in prison before being released in 1900. He returned to his old trade as a cooper and settled in Harpurhey.
An Unexpected Connection
In a final twist of fate, in 1905, William married Florence Caminada, the niece of the very detective who had fought to save his life. The following year, they welcomed their son, William Louis Willan, into the world—a new generation born from a story of crime, redemption, and an unlikely alliance between a gang member and a detective.
Philips Park Cemetery – Willan Plot
http://news.bbc.co.uk/local/manchester/hi/people_and_places/history/newsid_8233000/8233388.stm
The Gangs of Manchester : Andrew Davies
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