London in 18th Century had 20% of its women into prostitution

The growth in London’s maritime trade during the 18th century brought more and more ships to the wharves and quays. With the ships came sailors and inevitably there was an increase in the supply of prostitutes to meet the growing demand.prostitute-in-18th-century-London

Many women were forced into prostitution by poverty. Others decided that they would rather sell their bodies than work long hours as laundresses, servants or seamstresses. Not only that, these menial jobs were prejudiced against (when done by women), and as such, prostitution was encouraged by the English society then; so much so that one in five women engaged in prostitution (twenty percent).

Prostitution was not confined to the maritime districts of the East End. It was also endemic in the West End. By the middle of the 18th century Covent Garden (a tourist attraction today) was full of seedy lodging houses and an astonishing number of Turkish baths, many of which were brothels. It was normal to catch people fornicating in public, and at times, even children were treated for venereal disease.