Unfortunate Pay?

[Ryan_Miller]

How much did the unfortunates or prostitutes of the era make? Do we have any idea... i have heard that Mary Kelly was more of a high end prostitute but do we have maybe a price range for Martha, Polly, Annie, Liz, Catherine, and Mary?

[The Grave Maurice]

Most authors, Ryan, state that low-end prostitutes charged four pence a trick. But Donald Rumbelow, on all his tours, is fond of quoting Jack London who, in his book The People of the Abyss said he was told that women would sell themselves "for thru'pence, or tu'pence, or a loaf of stale bread".

[Mike Covell]

BBC News this morning reported that several London Brothels are charging just £15 for sexual intercourse, £10 if you don't use protection. This is 120 years later, and shows that they can charge as little as they like, as the demand is high!

[Bob Hinton]

Prostitute

I think Ryan may be off on a bit of a romantic track here. There were no such things as 'high end prostitutes' in the East End. Mary Kelly was as much of a squalid, wretched, drunken creature as all the other victims.

[The Good Michael]

said he was told that women would sell themselves "for thru'pence, or tu'pence, or a loaf of stale bread".

GM,

Was this good, stale bread? If I could find that in Korea, I'd sell myself... not that anyone's buying, mind you.

Mike

[Mike Covell]

I would sell my wife for stale bread, after 5 minutes of her nattering I would probably get her back!

Here is the BBC report,

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/7597232.stm

[kensei]

I think Ryan may be off on a bit of a romantic track here. There were no such things as 'high end prostitutes' in the East End. Mary Kelly was as much of a squalid, wretched, drunken creature as all the other victims.

Wasn't Mary supposed to have once worked in a somewhat classier West End brothel, from which a client briefly took her to Paris? (If that story is true of course.) I wonder how much better conditions would have been there.

[Mitch Rowe]

I would sell my wife for stale bread, after 5 minutes of her nattering I would probably get her back!

Here is the BBC report,
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/7597232.stm

Better not let your wife read that post or stale bread is all you will be eating for the next six months.

[Mike Covell]

Better not let your wife read that post or stale bread is all you will be eating for the next six months.

Good job she can't read

[Mitch Rowe]

Really? Gee sorry bout that then. I trust you are an honest Man and are willing to tell her what you wrote. Better yet.. Grab a big book. Hand it to her and tell her to hit you over the head with it.

[Mike Covell]

I was of course kiddin' Mitch! My wife can read but rarely gets a look in on the computer and when she does, JTR is the last thing on her mind.

Back to the subject at hand,
I found a police report from Hull, which was written in the late 1800's and listed all the brothels. It had a classification scheme where girls were rated as clean down to unclean, with several stages inbetween.

How the local police got this information, I will never know!

[Ryan_Miller]

Thats interesting. Is there a link that you could post for that? By the way, Mike, when are you going to be back on Rippercast?

[Sam Flynn]

I found a police report from Hull, which was written in the late 1800's and listed all the brothels. It had a classification scheme where girls were rated as clean down to unclean, with several stages inbetween.

How the local police got this information, I will never know!

A few doors around the corner from Cathays Police Station in Cardiff there was once a brothel - located in the aptly-named Fanny Street.

[Limehouse]

A few doors around the corner from Cathays Police Station in Cardiff there was once a brothel - located in the aptly-named Fanny Street.

I know of a police station that is located in Pig Lane!

[Mike Covell]

Hi Ryan, I found it in a local history book about 2 years ago, hence my memory is not upto scratch. I was certain I had made a copy, and will try and find it.

I should be returning to the excellent "Rippercast" very soon. These last few months I have been getting very tired due to my heart condition, sundays are pretty bad becuase I have both the children all day, whilst the wife works!

They are now at school and nursary during the week, so I can relax, and my parents take them out every now and again on sundays to give me rest. I also have a cardilogist appointment this coming monday so hopefully, some questions will be answered!