The History of Prostitution Part 32

All parties are, however, agreed in representing that it is impracticable to form any thing like a correct estimate of "the number of female servants, milliners, and women in the upper and middle cla.s.ses of society who might properly be cla.s.sed with prost.i.tutes, or of the women who frequent theatres, barracks, s.h.i.+ps, prisons, etc."

In 1851, the police of Dublin published in their statistical returns the number of prost.i.tutes in that city, which is the only public or official paper on the point having any appearance of system or accuracy. It is as follows:

1848 Brothels 385 Prost.i.tutes 1343 1849 " 330 " 1344 1850 " 272 " 1215 1851 " 297 " 1170

This table shows a steady decrease in the number of these women. We are uninformed as to any local causes for this, nor do we know whether it has been balanced by an increase of "sly" or occasional prost.i.tution.

From the preceding figures a calculation has been made of the regular prost.i.tutes relatively to the population in the several towns. It appears to have been based on the number of inhabitants at the date of the various estimates. That of Dublin is according to the census of 1851, the remainder according to that of 1841.

PROPORTION OF PROSt.i.tUTES TO POPULATION.

+----------------------------------------------------------------+ Proportion to Population. ---------------------------------------- Number of To total Prost.i.tutes. To Males. To Females. Population. ---------- ------------ ------------ ------------- ------------- Liverpool 2900 1 to 43 1 to 45 1 to 88 Manchester 700 1 to 156 1 to 169 1 to 325 Leeds 700 1 to 70 1 to 75 1 to 145 Edinburgh 800 1 to 106 1 to 130 1 to 236 Glasgow 1800 1 to 87 1 to 97 1 to 184 Dublin 1170 1 to 101 1 to 119 1 to 220 Cork[311] 350 1 to 113 1 to 134 1 to 247 +----------------------------------------------------------------+

The mean of the above maybe taken as a fair representation of the general state of the kingdom. The qualifying circ.u.mstances to which we have already made allusion as peculiar to each city or district are, of course, neutralized by the aggregate.

For example, Liverpool is a great sea-port town, and a large number of regular prost.i.tutes would be inevitable there. In Manchester, a large manufacturing city, with an immense pauper and factory operative population, the trade of prost.i.tution would meet with less profitable custom; accordingly, we find the proportion much smaller. Glasgow is both manufacturing and commercial; there, again, the proportion is larger.

Dublin has but little commerce, but is a capital city, and has a court and a large garrison. The combination of all these circ.u.mstances is found in London, and a fair estimate would be obtained by adding all the preceding proportions together, which would give a mean of about 1 in 232, and this upon the population (2,362,000) is within a fraction of ten thousand.

We have seen that Mr. Mayne in 1840 stated his opinion to be that there were about eight thousand regular prost.i.tutes in London, qualifying that statement by a profession of total ignorance as to the irregulars who did not make prost.i.tution their only means of living. Mr. Mayne had peculiar sources of information open to him, and it is more than probable that his opinion was well founded. From the above calculation, from the best sources available to us on this very obscure question, we are satisfied to a.s.sume ten thousand as at least a probable approximation to the number of _regular_ prost.i.tutes in London.

Mr. Mayne, in his statement on this subject, mentioned that there were 3335 brothels. Some authors have attempted to make a calculation of the number of prost.i.tutes on the basis of this number of houses; one has a.s.sumed three, another ten. Dr. Wardlaw has fixed upon five women per house, without, as it appears to us, any precise reason for preferring that figure. These different opinions may be thus worked out:

5 women in each house would give 16,675 prost.i.tutes.

4 " " " (as in Dublin) would give 13,340 "

3 " " " (as in Cork) " " 10,005 "

We have not been able to obtain Mr. Mayne's statement _ipsissimis verbis_, and failing that we may be in error, but we should be inclined to think that, in his official capacity as a magistrate, and in his personal character as a lawyer, Mr. Mayne would be apt to a.s.sign the term "brothel"

indiscriminately to all houses trading in prost.i.tution, whether houses of a.s.signation or houses in which prost.i.tutes habitually reside. If our reading of the word "brothels" in this sense be correct, it is clear that any attempt to enumerate on the basis of the women attached to each house would be fallacious. The expression used by the Dublin police is "houses frequented or occupied," and its ambiguity shows that the authorities there considered the word "brothel" in the sense given to it by English jurists.

How does this number of ten thousand regular prost.i.tutes bear on the population?

In London there are, above twenty years of age,

Male. Female.

Bachelors 196,851 Spinsters 246,124 Husbands 398,624 Wives 406,266 Widowers 37,064 Widows 110,028 ------- ------- Totals 632,545 762,418

Omitting fractions, the proportions would be,

On bachelors and widowers 1 in 23 " total male population 1 " 63 " " female " 1 " 76 " aggregate population above twenty years of age 1 " 139

This would establish ten thousand as the nucleus of the prost.i.tution system of London. Those females who come within the designation of "irregular prost.i.tutes" are in no respect less prejudicial to the community than the "regulars." The difference is that they have some other real or nominal occupation, which they follow according to circ.u.mstances.

An even moderately correct estimate of their number is little better than guess-work, and we therefore think it expedient to put our readers in possession of our own limited means of information, and take them on to a conclusion. There are so many elements to be taken into the account, and the data are so scanty, that we only consider ourselves justified in intimating an opinion rather than announcing a satisfactory conclusion.

To show the extremes to which the doctrine of possibilities may lead in this development of misery and vice, we will recur to the statement of some of the London prost.i.tute needle-women themselves. We quote from Mayhew's letters to the Morning Chronicle:

"I now come to the second test that was adopted in order to verify my conclusions. This was the convening of such a number of needle-women and slop-workers as would enable me to arrive at a correct average as to the earnings of the cla.s.s. I was particularly anxious to do this, not only with regard to the more respectable portions of the operatives, but also with reference to those who, I had been given to understand, resorted to prost.i.tution in order to eke out their subsistence. I consulted a friend, who is well acquainted with the habits and feelings of slop-workers, as to the possibility of gathering together a number of women who would be willing to state that they had been forced to take to the streets on account of the low prices for their work.[312] He told me he was afraid, from the shame of their mode of life becoming known, it would be almost impossible to collect together a number of females who would be ready to say as much publicly. However, it was decided that at least the experiment should be made, and that every thing should be done to a.s.sure the parties of the strict privacy of the a.s.semblage. It was arranged that this gentleman and myself should be the only male persons visible on the occasion, and that the place of meeting should be as dimly lighted as possible, so they could scarcely see or be seen by one another or by us. Cards of admission were issued privately, and, to my friend's astonishment, as many as twenty-five came on the evening named to the appointed place, intent upon making known the sorrows and sufferings that had driven them to fly to the streets, in order to get the bread which the wretched prices paid for their labor would not permit them to obtain.

"Never in all history was such a sight seen or such tales heard.

There, in the dim haze of the large bare room in which they met, sat women and girls, some with babies sucking at their b.r.e.a.s.t.s, others in rags, and even those borrowed in order that they might come and tell their misery to the world. I have witnessed many a scene of sorrow lately; I have heard stories that have unmanned me; but never, till last Wednesday, had I heard or seen any thing so solemn, so terrible as this. If ever eloquence was listened to, it was in the outpourings of these poor, lorn mothers' hearts for their base-born little ones, as each told her woes and struggles, and published her shame amid the convulsive sobs of others--nay, of all present. Behind a screen, removed from sight, so as not to wound the modesty of the women, who were nevertheless aware of their presence, sat two reporters from this journal, to take down _verbatim_ the confessions and declarations of those a.s.sembled, and to them I am indebted for the following report of the statements made at the meeting."

Then follow a series of most heart-rending statements, all to the same purport as those quoted in other parts of this work, and bearing all the internal evidence of truth. The letter concludes with the following sentence:

"They were unanimous in declaring that a large number of the trade--probably one fourth of the whole, or one half of those who had no husbands or parents to support them--resorted to the streets to eke out a living. Accordingly, a.s.suming the government returns to be correct, and that there are upward of eleven thousand females under twenty living by needle and slop work,[313] the numerical amount of prost.i.tution becomes awful to contemplate."

Thus, then, we have it in evidence that "probably" one fourth of all women engaged in sewing occupations for a livelihood are compelled to have occasional recourse to prost.i.tution as their only and compulsory refuge from starvation.

The number of women engaged in these sewing occupations is enormous.

According to the census of 1851, they const.i.tute, indeed, the main support of the female working population throughout Great Britain, exclusive of domestic servants, laundresses, and persons employed in agricultural pursuits, and in the cotton and linen factories. The figures for the three kingdoms are as follows:

Hatters 3,500 Straw-hat-makers 20,500 Bonnet-makers 7,600 Cap-makers 4,700 Furriers 1,900 Tailors 17,600 Shawl-makers 3,200 Milliners 267,400 Seamstresses 72,900 Stay-makers 12,700 Stocking-makers 30,700 Glovers 25,300 Case-makers 31,400

In all Great Britain this cla.s.s numbers 1,787,600 Of whom there are under twenty years of age 458,168

We have not the details of the occupations of London, but the proportion which the population of the metropolis bears to that of Great Britain is about one ninth. One ninth of the above aggregate would give for London about 196,500 women engaged in the sewing trades, all of whom, it may be a.s.sumed, are over fifteen. We omit from the consideration of female trades those engaged in agricultural pursuits and factories, such occupations having comparatively few representatives in the metropolitan districts, although there are more of them than would be supposed. Laundresses are also omitted, as a very large proportion of them in and about London are, as is well known, married and middle-aged women. But another cla.s.s to which all writers a.s.sign a large amount of prost.i.tution are domestic servants, a body most numerously represented in London. There are in the metropolis 165,100 domestic servants, the peculiarly unprotected character of whom, as a cla.s.s, may be inferred from the singular fact that to the work-house, the hospital, and the Lunatic Asylum they supply an immense number of inmates, exceeding that of any other cla.s.s.

Thus, then, are shown two very large figures, amounting together to 361,000, as the stock from which prost.i.tutes to any extent may be procured. Some consideration, perhaps, of the ages of prost.i.tutes, and of other circ.u.mstances in the condition of the female population, may enable us to appreciate the state of the case without being driven to the necessity of looking on these enormous totals as incapable of reduction.

Nature would indicate the period between 15 and 45 as the age during which the trade of prost.i.tution must be carried on. Much has been said as to the means used for decoying young children for purposes of prost.i.tution. Of the fact we are perfectly convinced, but should think it of little numerical importance in the aggregate body. The influence of evil communication on the young is of infinitely greater mischief, and the extent of youthful depravity from this cause is very great among the poorer cla.s.ses, and would oblige us to date the commencing age of prost.i.tution back to twelve years.

As to the period of life at which the prost.i.tute's career is terminated, it is contended by some of the English writers that only an infinitesimal proportion reach the age of forty-five in the exercise of their soul and health destroying trade. Mr. Tait says, "In less than one year from the commencement of their wicked career these females bear evident marks of their approaching decay, and in the course of three years very few can be recognized by their old acquaintance, if they are so fortunate as to survive that period. These remarks apply more especially to those who are above twenty years of age when they join the ranks of the victims." From the average of Edinburgh, Mr. Tait goes on to a.s.sume that "not above one in eleven survives twenty-five years of age; and taking together those who persist in vice, and those who, after having abandoned it, die of diseases which originated from the excesses they were addicted to during its continuance, perhaps not less than a fifth or sixth of all who have embraced this course of sin die annually." Dr. Ryan seems to adopt an opinion that the average duration of life after commencing prost.i.tution is four years.[314] Captain Miller, of Glasgow, thinks that "the average age at which women become abandoned is from fifteen to twenty, and the average duration of women continuing this vice is about five years."

The ages of patients admitted into the Lock Hospital at Edinburgh were as follows:

Under 15 years 42 From 15 years to 20 years 662 " 20 " " 25 " 199 " 25 " " 30 " 69 " 30 " " 35 " 16 " 35 " " 40 " 6 Over 40 years 6 ---- Total 1000

These figures alone would go to make out the presumption that the ages of prost.i.tutes are between twelve and thirty, and that 861/1000 are between fifteen and twenty-five. According to the above table, nine tenths of the number at twenty have disappeared at thirty, and according to Captain Miller's opinion that "cases of reform and abandonment of their life are very rare," the conclusion would be that their career ends in death.[315]

The duration of prost.i.tution being ascertained, we would find the number of women between the ages of fifteen and twenty-five. In the whole female population this is one fifth, but the very aged or the very youthful are necessarily excluded from the cla.s.ses of work-women and servants; of servants, indeed, there are five and upward under twenty to three above twenty years of age. This, therefore, would indicate very little reduction of the numbers.

It is reasonable to suppose that some portion of the above are married women having husbands living, and if so, it is not an unreasonable supposition that their wives are not obliged to have recourse to prost.i.tution; in fact, the poor creatures themselves seem to imply that immunity. The number of wives is about one third of the whole female population; of these wives about one fourth are employed in trades apart from those of their husbands. If we deduct only such a proportion from the sewing-women, it makes something when we have to deal with such enormous ma.s.ses; we should strike off nearly 50,000, leaving only 150,000 sewing-women.

There is comfort, however, in the fact that, of these sewing-women, three fourths are known to be over twenty years of age; and if we only a.s.sume one half instead of three fourths, allowing the other fourth for the difference between twenty and twenty-five years of age, it brings our figure down to seventy-five thousand.

All these deductions are, we fear, in excess; and it must be recollected, moreover, that the above large sums by no means include all the female occupations of London,[316] but merely those cla.s.ses which, either from the temptation incident to their position, or from the imperative demands of want and necessity, are, by competent authority, supposed to be peculiarly obnoxious to the risk of prost.i.tution. If to this large number of women, which we can not a.s.sume at less than 273,000 between the ages of twelve and twenty-five, be added all the other denizens of a great city unexampled in its magnitude, embracing in itself all the peculiarities of all other cities, at once a manufacturing, a commercial, a garrison, and a capital city, and, finally, containing the largest population in the world, one such item being nearly four hundred thousand single females over twelve years of age, then, indeed, the ma.s.s of misery, wretchedness, vice, and crime there acc.u.mulated appals the mind seeking to grapple with it, and oppresses us with the apprehension that even eighty thousand, the highest estimate which has been made, is, when understood to include all contingencies, not an incredible figure.[317]

Englishmen pride themselves, and, it must be admitted, not without reason, on their numerous and admirable public charities. In this particular direction it would seem that public munificence has not been so liberally displayed as in some others. "Joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth more than over ninety and nine just persons," does not, we fear, apply to minds and hearts of earthly mould. People, in charitable as in other inst.i.tutions, like to see a return for their investment; and, notwithstanding the immense field for benevolent labor in prost.i.tution, there is a general impression among both the public and officials that it is an irretrievably barren waste, and that it is worse than profitless to squander money and time upon it. The results which have been achieved would, however, show that the exertions of philanthropy, although not producing so much fruit as in some other quarters, have not been entirely vain. In reference to these results, too, it must be borne in mind that the discipline of the various inst.i.tutions is severe, and even repellent, a policy ill adapted to insure a large amount of success.

The Lock Hospital is the oldest inst.i.tution in London for the benefit of lost females, and is devoted entirely to the cure of venereal disease. It was founded in the year 1747, and in a century had cured 45,448 cases.

The Magdalen Hospital of London was founded in 1758, and up to January, 1844, had received 6968 females. The results were as follows:

Reconciled to their friends, or placed in service or other reputable employment 4752 Discharged at their own request 1182 " for improper conduct 720 Died 109 Sent to other inst.i.tutions (being insane or afflicted with incurable diseases) 107 Eloped 2 Remaining in the Hospital 96 ---- Total 6968

A considerable number of the women, when discharged from the inst.i.tution, are under twenty years of age; and it is an invariable rule not to dismiss any one (unless at her own desire, or for misconduct) without some means being provided by which she may obtain a livelihood in an honest manner.

The Lock Asylum was founded in 1787, for the reception of penitent female patients when discharged from the Lock Hospital; and up to March, 1837, the number of women received was 984. The results were:

Reconciled to their friends 170 Placed in service or employment 281 Died 22 Remaining in Asylum 18 --- Total 491