Disorderly Women in Eighteenth-Century London

This is the first full-length study of prostitution in London during the eighteenth and early nineteenth century. Not only is it deeply revealing about the experience of prostitution in Georgian London but it also throws light on London society as a whole and its attitudes towards the female urban poor. The author has drawn on the archives of London's parishes, jury records, reports from Southwark gaol as well as other sources which have been overlooked by historians. The result is a study which opens up contemporary debate and offers new conclusions.

Tony Henderson

1. Introduction.  2. The Experience of Prostitution.  3. The Geography of Prostitution in London.  4. Prostitution and the Law.  5. Policing the Streets.  6. Policing Disorderly Houses.  7. Attitudes towards Prostitution.  8. Conclusion. Bibliography