The Victorian Prostitute

A shocking reality of the Victorian Era is the fact that there were thousands of women who were prostitutes --- in London alone! Many of these women were very "matter of fact" about prostitution and, with it being a better paid profession than many others, would save the money so that they could  "move on" to a better life, a little like a stepping-stone. It was not unheard of for a young women to leave domestic service, 'walk the streets' to save money and to see life, and then with their saved money, became the landlady of some coffee house. This life seemed completely normal and was accepted in certain classes of life. Or the well-born young woman who became a governess, lost her position for some reason and then she would end up on the streets.

There were, of course, always the unfortunate who as beautiful young girls had been forced into this degrading world by cruel "chaps" or pimps as we call them. These beautiful young girls rarely lived passed a certain age and we can only guess at the horrors they succumbed to. It was interesting to note that Jack the Ripper chose prostitutes as his victims and the questions are varied and many regarding this. Was it because a great deal of women were prostitutes back then ? Or was there a more sinister reason found only in his childhood ? We may never know ! The reality is that prostitution seemed to be quite a normal part of life for many women who lived in the Victorian Era.