It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a woman in possession of a love of history, must be in want of a blog.
'For my part I don’t see why men who have got wives and don’t want ‘em, shouldn’t get rid of ‘em as these gipsy fellows do their old horses...Why shouldn’t they put ‘em up and sell ‘em by auction to men who are in need of such articles? Hey? Why, begad, I’d sell mine this …
Continue reading ‘I’d sell my wife if anybody would buy her’: wife sales in England
Prostitution was endemic in Georgian London, with thousands of prostitutes plying their trade from private lodgings, brothels, theatres, taverns and street corners. As such, there was a wide choice for Londoners who went in search of the pleasures of the flesh. However, with so many ladies of the night, how was the discerning man supposed to know …
Continue reading Harris’s List, or, a catalogue of London prostitutes from 1789
We know from letters, diaries and novels that Victorian bachelors expended much thought and worry on the issue of marriage. When confronted with a potential match, they had to weigh up both the financial and personal aspects of the married state. Victorian marriage was an expensive business. Among the very poor, perhaps, neither party expected to …
Continue reading What did Victorian bachelors think of marriage?