Tales of Impropriety

People have always been people - and the Victorians were less shocked by what went on in their towns than you might think. For example, I found this quite casual newspaper report from the Cardiff Times on 4 October 1879:



Image courtesy of dan at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

MERTHYR

 

A CASE DISMISSED - At the police-court on

Monday - the Stipendiary on the bench - Mary

Evans, a prostitute, was brought up charged with

stealing a dress, the property of another frail

sister named Elizabeth Jones. As prosecutrix

did not appear, the prisoner was discharged.

'Frail sisters' was a common euphemism, as was 'nightwalker' or 'lady of ill repute.'