The World’s Oldest Profession

Until 1547 prostitution was generally regulated in England, it just depended upon where you were. Some places regulated brothels and which areas prostitutes were allowed to operate, others did not. One of the areas where they were allowed to ply their trade was Southwark, on the south bank of the Thames.

Winchester Geese

Prostitution there was licensed by the Bishop of Winchester, who apparently referred to the prostitutes as ‘Winchester Geese’. He was able to license them following regulations introduced in 1161 by Henry II’s parliament, so it is hardly surprising that some of their clients were church officials! These were the earliest laws in Europe to regulate a practice that still goes on in Britain, but which is no longer regulated here.

Special Clothing

Over the centuries, prostitutes were required to wear various items or colours of clothing; again, it depended on location as to what that requirement was. Bristol and London opted for striped hoods, although at one point London prostitutes were distinguished by their yellow hoods, nor were they allowed to wear fur hoods to distinguish them from high society ladies. At one point in the Middle Ages, prostitutes and courtesans had to wear a shoulder knot of a specific colour so that respectable women could go about their business unmolested.

Burial Grounds Restriction

The one thing that was certain all those centuries ago was that prostitutes could not be buried in consecrated ground. There is a former unhallowed burial ground in Southwark, London called Cross Bones where local prostitutes were thought to be buried. In the 16th century, Southwark was outside the jurisdiction of the City of London and it was convenient to bury anyone there who did not warrant, or could not afford, a burial in consecrated ground.

Bodies Discovered

It is thought to be home to an estimated 15,000 bodies, some of which were discovered during the construction of the Jubilee Line extension. After it was closed in the mid-nineteenth century, due to there being no room for any more bodies, efforts had frequently been made to redevelop the area. Those efforts were just as frequently fought off by locals. It is now a memorial garden to remember all the occupants of the graveyard.

Irony

It was Henry VIII who outlawed brothels in 1535, and the toleration of prostitutes, because they were considered to be responsible for the spread of syphilis. That was ironic considering that it had been a royal predecessor, Henry II, who had introduced its legalisation originally.

The 17th and 18th centuries saw things become a bit more organised, with the publication of what might loosely be called trade directories showing the location of brothels and where prostitutes might be found. Some even listed the attributes of specific prostitutes, describing in detail the physical attributes and special services of some of the ladies of the night.