The typical prostitute was 18 - 22 years
old (though some would work till much older). She would
be single and formerly from a low paid job, such as a
domestic. A few were supporting illegitimate children.
Many were forced into this work as they arrived penniless
from the countryside. Prostitutes visited pubs, which
other women would not. Most only worked the trade for
a few years, many escaping to a (possibly) better life
by marrying one of their customers.
Prostitution was not illegal. But laws
existed that meant the girls were treated as criminals.
For instance, a severe problem existed because a large
proportion of soldiers and sailors were infected with
venereal diseases (one third). Enlisted men were not allowed
to marry. Many resorted to homosexuality, something the
armed forces have always found hard to accept; sodomy
carried the death penalty until 1861. During the reign
of Victoria, male homosexuality was made illegal, not
just for those in the armed forces. So typically of British
hypocritical prudishness, the softest, least able part
of society to fight back was made the scapegoat. Instead
of finding ways for servicemen to find sexual release
safely (use of condoms, licensed brothels), police were
given the power to arrest any woman (she did not
necessarily have to be a prostitute) where it was suspected
she was infected and take her to be tested for venereal
disease. She would then be confined in a secure hospital
until cured. Men could not be arrested- because it was
felt reasonable for a man to be tempted into using a prostitute,
whereas the prostitutes themselves were fallen women,
the lowest of the low. These laws were named The Contagious
Diseases Acts of 1864, 1866, and 1869.
A modern parallel is that currently in
England and Wales, prostitution is not illegal.
However, many of the ways prostitutes could advertise
themselves or make themselves safe are. A woman who directly
offers her services commits the offense of "soliciting."
Girls have to offer themselves for massage or as escorts,
and legally can only quote prices for their time, with
any services being something that may happen between consenting
adults. Once both parties are on private property, sexual
services can be agreed without breaking the law. Where
just one girl works in a premises (which means she has
little protection), this is legal. Two working together
constitutes a brothel, which is illegal. A man working
on the premises, who might give a girl protection, becomes
a pimp.
One advantage of The Contagious Diseases
Acts was that they actually assisted the feminist cause
as they were so ridiculous they provided an even stronger
argument for the feminists. They were repealed in 1886,
as many at the time (including leading figures such as
Florence Nightingale) pointed out that any women the police
felt were of lower class could be arrested, as the police
had no obligation to show they even suspected the woman
in question was a prostitute.
The reasons why Victorian society might
class a woman as a prostitute, or fallen, were much less
than today. Girls who had affairs, especially "lower"
class girls such as seamstresses or servants, for love
or because they enjoyed sex would be considered as prostitutes,
even if they did not do it for money. Meanwhile, the men
in these same relationships were regarded by society as
having done nothing wrong. Society believed that prostitutes
suffered a life sinking further and further into prostitution
leading to a lonely death. In fact, even those who actually
were prostitutes, often did it very occasionally in shear
desperation.
As mentioned earlier, many of the lower
class prostitutes were also criminals, or were much more
likely to cheat their customers. Of course, this still
happens, but as can be expected with a much lower standard
of living and lack of welfare state, this aspect was more
prevalent.
In 1862, Henry Mayhew published a report
into prostitution in London, following detailed research
he'd carried out (some may think he was just looking for
an excuse to find working girls!). It gives us some fascinating
insights.
One incident he recalls tells us of a
tour of the streets he conducted with sergeant Bircher
of the Metropolitan Police. He tells us of one street
walker they spotted who was recently known to him. Sergeant
Bircher's story goes on like this, "I first discovered
them in Holborn three nights ago, when I was on duty in
plain clothes. I don't exactly yet know rightly what their
little game is; but it's either dog-stealing or 'picking
up.' This is how they do it. The woman looks out for a
'mug,' that is a drunken fellow, or a stupid, foolish
sort of fellow. She then stops him in the street, talks
to him, and pays particular attention to his jewelry,
watch, and every thing of that sort, of which she attempts
to rob him. If he offers any resistance, or makes a noise,
one of her bullies comes up, and either knocks him down
by a blow under the ear, or exclaims: 'What are you talking
to my wife for?' and that's how the thing's done, sir,
that's exactly how these chaps do the trick."
This is one of the few sources we get
as to prices. Sergeant Bircher continues, referring to
a poor area, "They would go home with a man for a
shilling, and think themselves well paid, while sixpence
was rather an exorbitant amount for the temporary accommodation
their vagrant amour would require."
Interestingly, sixpence (2.5 pence in
modern decimal coinage, 5 cents), allowing for inflation
translates to something in the region of £25 ($50)
now, which at the bottom end of the street walking market
now is comparable (based on research and hearsay, of course!).
Of course there was also a quality end
of the market, just like now. Here, rich men could enjoy
girls in safety, but at a much higher price. The girls
also seemed to be regarded with more respect, which makes
you think the main crime of the poor street walkers was
being poor. Mayhew mentions a long established house in
Exeter Street, Strand, although he does not give us the
name. He says it was always honestly and orderly conducted.
Rich tradesmen would pay upward of 10 shillings (a week's
wages for a mill worker, so about £500 now, $1000)
for the room for the night, then would have to pay additionally
to their girl. In return, he could go with a lot of money
in his pocket, and be assured of waking up not having
been robbed. It is interesting to note that well- off
married women would also take their lovers to such establishments.
In slightly cheaper, but less reputable
establishments, a man might pay five shillings for the
room, but be "bilked" by their girl- she would
take her money, then simply leave. Obviously the man had
no redress against the establishment which had simply
provided the room. Many of the owners of these houses
were former prostitutes who through age had lost their
looks.
Men taking under age girls was even more
of a problem then than now. The cause was probably poverty,
where mothers (who were working the streets themselves)
would put their daughters out as soon as possible to earn
some money. There was no shortage of demand, as for those
men willing to abuse young girls in this way, there was
little legal recourse to stop them. Britain has always
been noted for its street markets. In Victorian days,
there were a lot more, with individual isolated market
stools and so called "costermongers" selling
their wares on foot.
As part of this culture, young "flower-girls,"
often as young as five or six, would sell flowers to passersby's.
Many would progress from this legitimate trade on the
street to selling themselves on the street. The age of
consent in the 1850's was 13, and their was little chance
of detection anyway, a pedophile took little risk of being
caught. Only in 1885 was the age of consent raised to
16, unchanged since then.
Some of the many men infected with venereal
disease still believed that taking a virgin would cure
them (this belief persisted into the early part of the
twentieth century). This increased the demand to the extent
where a virgin would cost between £5 and £25
(now about £5000 to £25000, or $10,000 to
$50,000).
The extent of prostitution in Victorian
London comes into focus when you start looking at some
figures. When Mayhew carried out his survey, the police
knew of about 8000 prostitutes in London. The Society
for the Suppression of Vice put the figure at 80,000.
In fact the average proportion of the female population
engaged in the trade in the 19th century was a massive
one in 36 of the total population, meaning there was a
girl in the trade for every 12 adult males. Yet what we
have seen about the prices shows it was not exactly cheap
for people on very low wages. This shows there was plenty
of demand even for such a large availability of girls.
Its no wonder that London was called the "Whoreshop
of the world."
Please note that the price comparisons are based on a
source quoting that in 1835 the Redhill Street Mill in
Manchester paid its workers 11 shillings (55p, $1-10)
for a 69 hour week. If working days that long were allowed
now, wages would be about £550 per week, i.e. 1000
times as much. As some prices quoted relate to the later
Victorian period, the values will be somewhat high due
to inflation. Whilst figures given in dollars were calculated
recently (2008), the volatility of the modern pound affects
the reliability of this conversion. Please apply the current
exchange rate when you read this article for a reliable
conversion.
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