Part 17

The Public Stews were antiently kept in Southwark, by an express Licence from the Government, and open Permission both Civil and Ecclesiastical, for they paid regular Taxes to the Lord-Mayor of the City, and to the Bishop of the See.

We do not find that they were ever molested ’till the 25th of Edward the Third, when, in the Parliament at Westminster, at the Request of the Londoners, says Daniel, an Act passed, obliging all Common Whores to distinguish themselves, by wearing Hoods striped with divers Colours, or Furs, and their Gowns turn’d inside out.

This, indeed, was but a Trifle to what they suffer’d thirty Years after by Wat Tyler’s Rebellion.

In the fifth of Richard the Second, Wat marched up from Dartworth, with a true Spirit of Reformation, fully resolv’d to burn and destroy every thing that oppos’d him: If the Archbishop’s Palace at Lambeth could not escape, there was little Mercy to be expected for the Stews; besides, Whoring was not the least of Wat’s Grievances: He began his Rebellion by killing a Collector of the Poll-Tax for being a little too brisk upon his Daughter; and his Antipathy to the Stews was still increased, by the Lord-Mayor’s shutting the City-Gates, and denying him Entrance; for he could not revenge the Affront more effectually, than by cutting off so large a Branch of his Lordship’s Revenue.

On the Feast of Corpus Christi, or the 13th of June, the Commons of Kent brake down the STEW-HOUSES near London-Bridge, at that Time in the hands of the Frowes of Flanders, who had farmed them of the Mayor of London. STOW’s Chron. p. 285.

In short, every thing concurred to the Destruction of the Stews, and demolish’d they were.

This Action, however, lost Tyler his Life; for William Walworth, then Lord-Mayor, was the very Man who struck him first off his Horse in Smithfield: For which the King knighted him, gave him 100 l. Pension, and added the Dagger to the City-Arms.

Whilst Whoring was in this unsettled Condition, the Bishop thought it a good Opportunity to ingross the whole Profit of licensing Courtezans, which occasion’d them fresh Trouble; for John Northampton, who succeeded Walworth, either piqued at the Bishop’s invading his Right, or out of a real Reforming Principle, for he was a Follower of Wickliff, commenced a severe Persecution. He had his Spies and Constables in every Street, to apprehend Strollers; and such Women as were neither handsome nor rich enough to bribe his Officers, were carried through the Streets in great Pomp, with their Hair shorn, and Trumpets and Pipes playing before them. All this he did contrary to the express Commands of the Bishop, who had several Bickerings with him upon that Head.

This great Reformer John Northampton was, from his troublesome Temper, nick-nam’d Cumber-Town; and as he succeeded Tyler in the Work of Reformation, so he had like to have met with as bad a Fate: For two Years after he was found guilty of High Treason, without making the least Defence; had his Goods confiscated, and was condemned to perpetual Imprisonment 100 Miles from London: Accordingly he was sent to Tentagil-Castle in Cornwall.

This dreadful Cumber-Town being removed, the Stews had Leisure to re-settle themselves under the Protection of the Church; and enjoyed an almost uninterrupted Tranquillity for 150 Years.

We find, indeed, an Act passed at Westminster, in the 11th of Hen. VI. that no Keepers of Stews, or Whore-Houses in Southwark, should be impannelled upon any Jury, or keep a Tavern in any other Place.

But the most sensible Blow they ever felt, was the Invasion of the French-Pox. The Spaniards had brought it from the Islands of Florida to Naples, and the Army of Charles VIII. when he conquer’d that Kingdom in the Year 1495, transmitted it into France, from whence it had a very quick Passage into England; for there was an Act passed in the latter end of Henry VII’s Reign, for expelling out of the Stews all such Women as had the Faculty of Burning Men.

However, we find they still continued in good Repute in the Reign of Henry VIII. and yielded a considerable Revenue to the Bishop of London; for Bucer, in one of his Books against Gardiner, taxes him with it as an heinous Crime, that he should receive most of his Rents out of the Public Stews.

In the latter end of March (Anno Reg. Hen. VIII. 36) “the Stewes on the Bank-side of the Thames, in Southwark, was put down, by the King’s Commandment, which was proclaimed by sound of Trumpets, no more to be privileged, or used as a common Bordell, but the Inhabitants of those Houses, to keep good and honest Rule, as in all other Places of the Realm. STOW’s Chron. p. 591.

After this terrible Accusation, we may easily guess what Quarter our Stews met with at the Reformation. But now Bucer has got his Ends; the Stews are destroy’d; those public Nusances are demolish’d; Whoring is attack’d on all hands without Mercy; and what then? Why, truly, by mere Dint of Reforming, we have reduced Lewdness to that pass, that hardly one Bachelor in the Kingdom will lie with a Woman, if he is sure that she’s not found; and very few modest Women will suffer a Man to get them with Child, unless he makes a Promise to marry.

In short, the Truth is, we are at this present Writing as bad as we can be; and I hope I have fairly shown how we may be better.

APPENDIX.

NUMBER I.

RICHARD RAWLINSON, L. L. D. and R. S. S. in his Account of Southwark, informs us, that next to the Bear-Garden on the Bank-Side was formerly the BORDELLO, or STEWES, so called from several Licensed Houses for the Entertainment of Lewd Persons, in which were Women prepared for all Comers. They were subject to several Laws and Regulations, and their Manner of Life and Privileged Places, received several Confirmations from the Crown.

See Aubrey’s Natural History and Antiquities of Surrey, 8vo. Vol. v. p. 221.

In 1162, King Henry II, in a Parliament held at Westminster, passed an Act, confirming several Ordinances, Statutes, and old Customs observed in that Place, amongst which the following are remarkable:

* * * * *

That no Stew-Holder or his Wife, should lett or stay any single Woman to go and come freely at all Times when she listed.

No Stewholder to keep any Woman to board, but she to board abroad at her Pleasure.

To take no more for the Woman’s Chamber than fourteen Pence.

Not to keep open his Doors upon the Holy-days.

Not to keep any single Woman in his House on the Holy-days, but the Bailiff to see them voided out of the Lordship.

No single Woman to be kept against her Will, that would leave her Sin.