London Underworld

Science disguised as magic; secrets buried in the sewers beneath Westminster.

In the 1890 London depicted in Guy Ritchie's 2009 film, a shadow network operates beneath the surface of polite society, driven by secret societies and scientific experiments disguised as magic. This world is not defined by street gangs alone but by high-level conspirators like Lord Henry Blackwood, who manipulates the Temple of the Four Orders to seize control of the British Empire. The plot centers on the intersection of this occult underworld and modern science, where a missing man named Luke Reordan developed dangerous technology in a secret lab. Before he is hanged, Blackwood warns Holmes that three more deaths will occur; his final act is to be the murder of the members of Parliament.

Quick Facts

Notable members

Dredger
Lord Coward
Sir Thomas Rotheram
U.S. Ambassador Standish
Irene Adler

Lore & Background

The underworld in this specific narrative is anchored by the Temple of the Four Orders, a secret magical fraternity led initially by Sir Thomas Rotheram. This group includes high-ranking figures such as U.S. Ambassador Standish and Home Secretary Lord Coward; Blackwood, a former member, is Rotheram's secret illegitimate son, and Coward is his right-hand man. The lore revolves around experiments conducted by Luke Reordan that attempt to merge science with magic, specifically a device designed to release cyanide gas into the Palace of Westminster.

Blackwood's men guard the device in the sewers beneath the Palace of Westminster, and his henchmen include the 7-foot, French-speaking Dredger. The narrative also introduces Professor Moriarty as the true mastermind, using Blackwood's public theatrics as a diversion to steal a key component based on the infant science of radio from Reordan's machine.

Reader's Guide

Key figures include Lord Henry Blackwood, who uses technology to feign magic; Irene Adler, an American femme fatale from New Jersey and skilled professional thief working for Moriarty; and Professor Moriarty himself, whose voice is provided by Andrew Jack in the film (later re-dubbed by Jared Harris). Blackwood's final act was a plan to murder the members of Parliament with cyanide gas, and Adler deactivates the device with a controlled explosion.

Did You Know?

Blackwood was hanged and pronounced dead by Dr. John Watson before returning to threaten Holmes.
Robert Maillet portrays Dredger, a 7-foot (2.14 meter), French-speaking henchman working for Blackwood.