Fallen Women and the Law in Nineteenth Century Hull1. Introduction In the 19th century femininity was idealised in the image of the domestic "angel" which was reflected in religion, art and literature. Prostitutes and unmarried mothers were seen as sexually immoral and condemned as "fallen women". This powerful imagery of "good" and "bad", combined with a sexual double standard, acted as a constraint on women's freedom and sexual behaviour which men did not have. The reality behind the "fallen woman" in Hull in the 19th century has been investigated and a survey has recorded every instance of women appearing before the courts between the census years of 1801 to 1891. The offences they were arrested for and the sentences given reveal that "crimes against morality" and female sexual disorder were seen as a serious social problem. The cases show the lack of justice given to "fallen women". Poor women who were prostitutes and brothel keepers or who had illegitimate children were targeted by the Hull police force and dealt with severely. They received harsher sentences than normal and unmarried mothers underwent a degrading courtroom ordeal which often resulted in the loss of their maintenance cases. Copyright 2003 Joanne Chilman, University of Hull |
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