Have you ever read Harris’s List? I have had the book for quite a while now and tend to dib into it more as a reference book.
It’s a fascinating book it’s full title is ‘The Covent Garden Ladies. Pimp General Jack & the Extraordinary story of Harris’s List.’ by Hallie Rubenhold.
It’s a bit like an ancient version of Punternet or Punterlink it lists working ladies in and around Covent Garden from about 1757-95 and reviews their character, services and premises for Gentlemen thinking of paying a visit, so much like us present ladies albeit written in the prose of the day.
A ‘common whore’ could be hired in London for a shilling, perhaps two or three shillings to enjoy her company in a bedroom in a local tavern or boarding house. The average wage at the time was around a pound a week, and two pounds was a fairly large sum of money. With some of the ladies on Harris’s Lists charging a Guinea a time, the lists referred to the higher end ladies.
Here’s one ‘review’ from 1776 -
Known in this quarter for her immense sized breasts, which she alternately makes use of with the rest of her parts, to indulge those who are particularly fond of a certain amusement. She is what you may call, at all; backwards and forwards, all are equal to her, posteriors not excepted, nay indeed, by her own account she has most pleasure in the latter. Very fit for a foreign Macaroni – entrance at the front door tolerably reasonable, but nothing less than two pound for the back way.
This lady obviously did something that I don’t ….. 
Another one reads -
Miss Sims, No. 82 Queen Ann Street East.
Miss Sims is fair and tall and if well paired would be a very proper mould to cast grenadiers in; is about twenty and though rather above the common height is not ungraceful nor awkward. She knows her value and will seldom accept of less than two guineas, which indeed are well-bestowed. It is remarkable that her lovers are most commonly of diminutive size. The vanity of surmounting such a fine tall woman in, doubtless, an incentive to many, to so unmatch themselves, that they are content to be like sweet-bread on a breast of veal. Yet notwithstanding her size, we hear her low countries are far from being capacious, but like a well-made boot, is drawn on her leg with some difficulty, and sits too close to give pleasure to the wearer; it is about two years since her boot has been accustomed to wear legs in it, and though often soaled yet never wears out. (1788)
Gosh how cryptic, but how telling too!
Is anyone good at writing in the eighteenth century style? I would love a description of Ms. Josephine Darling of Sevenoaks in the stylee of Jack Harris!
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