Homosexuality in the United Kingdom during the 18th and 19th centuries was a complex and often hidden aspect of social life, shaped by evolving legal, cultural, and religious frameworks. Unlike modern understandings of sexual orientation, same-sex relationships were not defined by identity but by specific acts, which were heavily stigmatized and criminalized. This essay explores the history of homosexuality in the UK during the 1700s and 1800s, examining societal attitudes, legal repercussions, notable cases, and the emergence of subcultures, supported by historical sources and real-world examples.
Homosexuality in the 1700s: Social and Legal Context
In the 18th century, British society was deeply influenced by Christian morality, which condemned same-sex acts as sinful, drawing from biblical interpretations like Leviticus 20:13. Homosexuality was not recognized as an identity but as a behavior termed “sodomy,” a catch-all label encompassing various sexual acts, including those between men, women, or even with animals. Sodomy was both a moral and legal offense, punishable by death under the Buggery Act of 1533, which remained in force throughout the period (Crompton, 2003).
Public attitudes were hostile, but enforcement was inconsistent, often targeting visible or scandalous cases. Men engaging in same-sex acts faced severe risks, particularly if caught in public spaces or if their behavior challenged social hierarchies. The term “molly” emerged to describe effeminate men suspected of sodomy, who gathered in secret meeting places known as “molly houses.” These venues, documented by historian Rictor Norton (1992), were early subcultural spaces where men could socialize, cross-dress, and engage in romantic or sexual relationships. One famous example is Mother Clap’s molly house in London, raided in 1726, leading to the arrest of over 40 men, with several executed or pilloried (Old Bailey Proceedings, 1726).
Legal records from the Old Bailey, London’s central criminal court, reveal numerous trials for sodomy, often initiated by entrapment or denunciation. For instance, in 1730, William Brown was convicted after being entrapped by a hustler in Moorfields, a known cruising area. His defense—that he trusted the man as a friend—highlights the clandestine nature of such relationships and the vulnerability of those involved (Norton, 1992). Women’s same-sex relationships, while less documented, were not entirely invisible. The 1746 case of Mary Hamilton, who lived as a man and married a woman, suggests that lesbian relationships existed but were often prosecuted under charges like fraud rather than sodomy (Clark, 1995).
Despite the risks, some elite men engaged in same-sex relationships with relative impunity, as long as they maintained discretion. Literary figures like Samuel Dryden and William Beckford, the latter exiled in 1785 after a scandal involving a young man, navigated these boundaries, their wealth offering some protection (Haggerty, 2003). However, the lower classes faced harsher scrutiny, with public punishments like the pillory serving as both deterrence and spectacle.
Homosexuality in the 1800s: Shifts and Scandals
The 19th century brought increased scrutiny of homosexuality, driven by urbanization, moral reform movements, and legal changes. The Industrial Revolution drew people to cities, creating opportunities for subcultures but also heightening surveillance. Moralists, influenced by evangelical Christianity, campaigned against vice, associating sodomy with urban decay. The 1828 Offences Against the Person Act reaffirmed the death penalty for sodomy, though convictions often required eyewitness testimony, making prosecutions difficult (Crompton, 2003).
A significant shift occurred in 1861, when the death penalty for sodomy was abolished, replaced by life imprisonment or hard labor under the Offences Against the Person Act. The 1885 Criminal Law Amendment Act, particularly its Labouchere Amendment, further criminalized “gross indecency” between men, a vague term that broadened the scope of prosecution. This law famously led to the 1895 conviction of Oscar Wilde, whose trial for relationships with men, including Lord Alfred Douglas, became a cultural watershed. Wilde’s imprisonment and subsequent exile highlighted the precarious position of even prominent figures (Ellmann, 1988).
Wilde’s case also reflected growing public awareness of homosexuality, fueled by medical and literary discourses. While earlier centuries framed sodomy as a sin, 19th-century physicians like Havelock Ellis began studying homosexuality as a psychological or biological condition, laying the groundwork for modern concepts of sexual orientation (Studies in the Psychology of Sex, 1897). However, these ideas were not widely accepted, and legal and social stigma persisted.
Subcultures continued to thrive in urban centers like London, Manchester, and Brighton. Taverns, parks, and theaters served as meeting points for men seeking same-sex connections. The Boulton and Park case of 1870, where two men were arrested for cross-dressing and suspected sodomy, revealed a vibrant underground scene. Their acquittal on sodomy charges but conviction for conspiracy to commit felony underscored the legal system’s focus on public morality over private acts (Upchurch, 2009).
Women’s same-sex relationships remained less visible, as legal frameworks rarely addressed lesbianism directly. However, romantic friendships between women, such as those between Anne Lister and her partners, were tolerated if discreet. Lister’s diaries, decoded in the 20th century, provide a rare glimpse into lesbian life, detailing her relationships and social navigation in early 19th-century Yorkshire (Whitbread, 1988). These relationships often escaped scrutiny because they did not threaten patriarchal structures, unlike male homosexuality, which challenged masculine norms.
Societal Attitudes and Resistance
Throughout both centuries, societal attitudes were shaped by class, gender, and religion. The elite could often evade punishment through wealth or influence, as seen in Beckford’s case, while working-class men faced harsher consequences. Effeminacy was a particular target, associated with moral weakness and foreign influence, as evident in caricatures of “macaronis” in the 1770s—foppish men suspected of sodomy (Haggerty, 2003).
Resistance to persecution existed, albeit covertly. Molly houses and cruising grounds were acts of defiance, creating spaces for community and identity. Literary works, such as Lord Byron’s homoerotic poetry or Wilde’s The Picture of Dorian Gray (1890), subtly challenged norms, though often at great personal cost. The 19th century also saw early advocacy, with figures like Edward Carpenter, who later argued for homosexual rights in The Intermediate Sex (1908), beginning to articulate a positive vision of same-sex love.
Conclusion
Homosexuality in the UK during the 1700s and 1800s was a hidden but persistent aspect of social life, marked by stark contrasts between repression and resilience. The Buggery Act, molly house raids, and Wilde’s trial illustrate the severe legal and social consequences faced by those engaging in same-sex acts. Yet, subcultures, romantic friendships, and literary expressions reveal a vibrant underground that defied norms. Cases like Mother Clap’s molly house and Anne Lister’s diaries highlight the diversity of experiences, while the Labouchere Amendment and medical discourses signal a transition toward modern understandings of sexuality. This period laid the groundwork for later struggles for acceptance, underscoring both the challenges and the enduring human need for connection.
References
- Clark, A. (1995). Women’s Silence, Men’s Violence: Sexual Assault in England, 1770–1845. Pandora.
- Crompton, L. (2003). Homosexuality and Civilization. Harvard University Press.
- Ellmann, R. (1988). Oscar Wilde. Knopf.
- Haggerty, G. E. (2003). Men in Love: Masculinity and Sexuality in the Eighteenth Century. Columbia University Press.
- Norton, R. (1992). Mother Clap’s Molly House: The Gay Subculture in England, 1700–1830. GMP Publishers.
- Upchurch, C. (2009). Before Wilde: Sex Between Men in Britain’s Age of Reform. University of California Press.
- Whitbread, H. (1988). I Know My Own Heart: The Diaries of Anne Lister, 1791–1840. Virago Press.
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