BEFORE SHERLOCK.

This article examines the significant but often overlooked presence of professional female private detectives in Victorian Britain during the late 19th century. These women operated across cities such as London, Bristol, Cardiff, and Glasgow, specializing in cases involving divorce, blackmail, missing persons, and discreet surveillance, often leveraging their gender to access spaces closed to men. The rise of female detectives was closely linked to the Matrimonial Causes Act of 1857, which increased demand for investigations into marital infidelity and related disputes. While some female detectives began as actresses and capitalized on public fascination with the role, many were working-class women performing unglamorous but essential investigative work, often without formal recognition. The article also highlights early debates about women joining official police detective roles, noting that Victorian female detectives laid groundwork for later formal appointments despite limited financial and professional autonomy.