TER General Board
for Georgian London, that is.
"For almost 30 years from 1757, Harris's List of Covent Garden Ladies was the essential gentleman's accessory for a night on the town. Historian Hallie Rubenhold estimates it sold at least 250,000 copies.
It offered very particular advice, guiding clients to the doorstep of Miss Smith, of Duke's Court in Bow Street, "a well made lass, something under the middle size, with dark brown hair and a good complexion"; warning them off Miss Robinson, at the Jelly Shops, "a slim and genteel made girl - but rather too flat"; and kindly including Mrs Hamblin, No 1 Naked-Boy Court in the Strand - "The young lady in question is not above 56 ... we know she must be particularly useful to elderly gentlemen who are very nice in having their linen got up.""
Full story about "The Covent Garden Ladies" is at
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk_news/story/0,,1456598,00.html
In looking for details about Harris's List, I found some fascinating stuff:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/programmes/zone/georgiansex.shtml
Here's an extract regarding one publication:
"Nocturnal Revels
A curious publication of 1779 called Nocturnal Revels, which discusses the London sex trade in a satirical yet seemingly factually correct manner, describes a typical night's entertainment at a high class West End seraglio or 'cloister' owned by the notorious Charlotte Hayes.
From this we learn:
That Colonel Tearwall would pay 10 guineas for an evening alone with a 'modest woman'
That Dr Frettext was prepared to pay 2 guineas for the attentions of 'Polly Nimblewrist' or 'Jenny Speedyhand'
That a homosexual liaison cost 5 guineas
That Count Alto would pay 10 guineas for a risqué game of cards
That Lady Loveit was prepared to pay 50 guineas to be 'well-mounted' by Captain O'Thunder or Sawney Rawbone
The average nightly charge in this up market seraglio was 14 guineas - a gigantic sum when set against the average earning of a London tradesman - such as a journeyman printer or bricklayer - who would earn between 18 shillings to £1 a week."
Ah, and I was told that sex was invented in the 1960s.
Aphra
... she's been dead these 250 years!
But then this begs the question, do you believe in reincarnation?
Anyway, here's a cheaper offering:
As James Boswell observed, 'A civil nymph with white thread stockings who tramps along the Strand' will 'resign her engaging person to your honour for a pint of wine and a shilling.'
That's 5p in today's money, so make sure you have plenty of change the next time you're in London town. (And plenty of wine, natch.)
Aphra
PS FYI The Savoy is now on the Strand, so things have moved up in the world since Boswell's day. Or maybe not
Thanks for the extract, Zinaval. As you can tell, this sort of thing fascinates me.
I read a while ago about the medieval English court, where there was a marshal under whose auspices the royal whores belonged. Funny to think that there was someone with an official capacity relating to this service.
Of course, in those days, sex was just deemed to be another bodily function, to be met like any other. As you say, it was only later that the concept of sin and issues of public morality came into play.
As far as prostitution is concerned, the Romans take some beating, if you'll excuse the pun. In doing some research on Roman times, I was amazed by the number of different words there were to describe a prostitute.
See this link:
http://ancienthistory.about.com/library/bl/bl_prostitutionnotes2.htm
The prostitute definitions begin about half way down. I think you'll find some of the distinctions amusing.
Aphra