The Mohocks were a gang that terrorized London in the early eighteenth century, attacking men and women alike. Named for the Mohawk Indians, they assaulted both men and women, disfiguring their male victims and sexually assaulting their female victims. The matter came to a head in 1712 when a bounty of £100 was issued by the royal court for their capture.
This gang was also known as the "young bloods", which was later shortened to "bloods". This name is possibly the origin of the British sense of the adjective bloody, which was not considered particularly impolite until the 18th century.
According to Lady Wentworth, "They put an old woman into a hogshead, and rolled her down a hill; they cut off some noses, others' hands, and several barbarous tricks, without any provocation. They are said to be young gentlemen; they never take any money from any." (Wentworth Papers, 277)
In fiction
John Gay ( better known for The Beggar's Opera ) wrote a play in 1712 titled The Mohocks - though this was printed but never acted in his lifetime.
In their defence, the prisoners denied that they were Mohocks, alleging that they were 'Scourers,' and had gone out, with a magistrate's sanction, to scour the streets, arrest Mohocks and other offenders, and deliver them up to justice.
As an instance of the gross misconduct of the watch, it was further alleged that they, the watch, had on the same, night actually presumed to arrest a peer of the realm, Lord Hitchinbroke, and had latterly adopted the practice of going their rounds by night accompanied by savage dogs.
And after these Mohocks, as they styled themselves, had held the town in terror for two years, after a royal proclamation had offered £100 reward for the apprehension of any one of them, when these four persons were at last brought to justice, the amount of punishment inflicted was merely the paltry fine of 3s.
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