, c. 1780, after a work by John Collet.|thumb|343x343px| A parodic cartoon depicting male and female
crossdressing, , after a work by
John Collet Gender issues in 18th century London According to one historian, English society of
Georgian era accorded high importance to the concepts of
family and
household as fundamental units for reproduction, subsistence and interaction between generations: in this context, male and female roles evolved into more static forms. Men were associated with an active, assertive role both in sexual behaviour and in managing the household, while women were "defined in terms of their maternal functions", contrarily to a tradition common at the start of the century, attributing them features related to lustfulness and aggressiveness in sexual matters. As stated by Robert Shoemaker, "... any activity (such as homosexual intercourse), in which [men] could be seen as acting passively was further marginalised". Some of the activities popular among the homosexual community, that were seemingly taking place in molly-houses (by nature, marginalised meeting places), were often associated both to female roles and to a family environment (e.g.
cross-dressing, "marriage" and "mock birth"
rituals, as described in a
satire work of the time, Edward Ward's
Satyrical Reflections on Clubs, Chapter XXV "Of the Mollies Club").
Molly-houses and the homosexual subculture in London in 1747, in
Louis Peter Boitard's
satirical print
The Covt. Garden morning frolick. Gaillardise du Commun Jardin As sodomy was a capital offence, the organisation of homosexual men and their activities had to be a crucial point, in order to keep the community as safe as possible from prosecution. As a consequence, molly districts seemed to appear, and eventually grow, in areas in which their business could be acknowledged and tolerated at the same time: such connivance could be often found in areas with a high rate of criminal acts such as theft and prostitution. An editorial in
The London Journal singled out a number of areas: They were enclosed, private spaces gathering individuals with a common purpose, i.e. socializing and seeking pleasure with partners of the same sex.
Law enforcement and sources of information Before 1533, the "unnatural sin" (also defined "detestable crime" in trial records) of sodomy or
buggery, (a specific common law offence, meaning anal intercourse between a man and another man or woman, or anal or vaginal intercourse with a beast – in this way encompassing both sodomy and bestiality) was dealt with by the
ecclesiastical courts. From that year however, the country's first civil sodomy law was introduced as
An Acte for the punishment of the vice of Buggerie (
Buggery Act 1533), and also criminal courts could prosecute individuals accused of such crimes. According to the Old Bailey Online Proceedings site:In order to obtain a conviction, it was necessary to prove that both penetration and ejaculation had occurred, and two witnesses were required to prove the crime. Both the "active" and "passive" partner could be found guilty of this offence. But due to the difficulty of proving this actual penetration and ejaculation many men were prosecuted with the reduced charge of assault with sodomitical intent.From the late 1690s to the early 1710s, the
Societies for the Reformation of Manners (organizations born after the Revolution in 1688, seeking to eliminate immorality and disrespect for religion from public life) Other important sources include
satires and
pamphlets, such as
An Answer To A Late Insolent Libel by
Jonathan Wild,
Edward Ward's
Satyrical Reflections on Clubs, Chapter XXV
Of the Mollies Club,
John Dunton's
The He-Strumpets. A Satyr on the Sodomite-Club, James Dalton's
A Genuine Narrative of all the Street Robberies Committed since October last. Later in the eighteenth century, waves of prosecutions can be identified in the 1750s and 1770s. the controversial figure of
Charles Hitchen (alternative spelling:
Hitchin), member of the
Society for the Reformation of Manners, notable
thief-taker, former Under City Marshal in London, was described as a regular in molly-houses according to a libel written by
Jonathan Wild and also to be referred by using female names. the
Marshal was complimented by the Company with the Titles of
Madam and
Ladyship.From James Dalton's
A Genuine Narrative of all the Street Robberies Committed since October last:They could take on a female persona, have a female name, and affect
feminine mannerisms and speech. Again from Jonathan Wild:The men calling one another
my Dear, and hugging, kissing, and tickling each other, as if they were a Mixture of wanton Males and Females, and assuming effeminate Voices and Airs • "Mock-birth" rituals: during which a man dressed in a nightgown pretended to be a woman giving birth to a baby assisted by fellow Mollies as "midwives" – a fact confirmed by other sources including trials. This ritual almost certainly originated as a
couvade, designated to collectively relieve the extreme stress this particular social group was forced to live under. The ceremonies described by Ned Ward took place in specific periods called "Festival Nights", which other sources indicate took place towards the end of December. This area came to be renowned as a
rookery in the next decades, and described as "a sort of distinct town, or district calculated for the reception of the darkest and most dangerous enemies to society; in which when pursued for the commission of crimes they easily conceal themselves and readily escape". A literary example can be interpreted as a sort of confirmation of the reputation of this lane, since
Charles Dickens placed here
Fagin's den, an old
Jewish man earning a living as a
fence, in his 1837
novel Oliver Twist. This homosexual meeting place, however, became well known to the public during the 1720s through the trial of its keeper,
Margaret Clap, indicted for keeping a disorderly house and for encouraging her customers to commit sodomy; and, particularly, through the account given by an
agent provocateur, Samuel Stevens. On Sunday Night the 14th of November. I went to the Prisoners House in Field-Lane, Holbourn. I found near Men Fifty there, making Love to one another as they call'd it. Sometimes they'd sit in one anothers Laps, use their Hands indecently Dance and make Curtsies and mimick the Language of Women – O Sir! - Pray Sir! - Dear Sir! Lord how can ye serve me so! – Ah ye little dear Toad! Then they'd go by Couples, into a Room on the same Floor to be marry'd as they call'd it. The Door at that Room was kept by – Ecclestone to prevent any body from balking their Diversions. but several accused of sodomitical practices seems to be reported as brothel keepers as well (i.e. Thomas Wright). On 9 May 1726, three men (Gabriel Lawrence, William Griffin, and Thomas Wright) were hanged at
Tyburn for buggery following a raid of
Margaret Clap's molly-house. Their trials are fundamental since they provide important details for the descriptions of the gay community surroundings. On 12 April 1727 Charles Hitchin was convicted of assault with sodomitical intent. == In popular culture ==