The “Oldest Profession”
by Charles Knutson
February 1994
Introduction and Bylaws
Interpretive
Clothing
Scottish Culture
History
Music and Dance
Military Life
Language
Bibliography, Sources
and Library Materials
In Medieval Europe, prostitutes who serviced armies were considered so essential that by the end of the period most armies had special officers to regulate the women. During the Crusades, thousands of whores made the journey to the Holy Land with the "Christian" armies. In 1189 French soldiers refused to sail without the shipload of women they had recruited. In 1476, the army of Charles the Bold was followed by 2000 campfollowers who provided the soldiers with "food, drink and sex. " Even in the 1800's certain British commanders in India had to fight puritan outrage at home regarding regimental brothels. In spite of regulations to the contrary, officers thought it the lesser of evils to have a bawdy house the regimental surgeon could inspect, rather than the increase in venereal disease that occurred when the men sought companionship in poorer sections of towns.
In the 17th century, whores and whorehouses were a fact of life, especially in large cities like London and ranged from Oxford Kate's (a public eating-place and covert bawdy-house), to the drabs on the streets, and those entered in criminal records as thieves as well as whores. In 1660 The Wandering Whore was published as a conversation between a young whore and an old bawd and listed what has been taken to be a comprehensive list of streets noted for prostitution and brothels. Outside of London, organized prostitution was mainly concentrated in bigger towns. Cambridge had 13 bawdy houses in 1676. In the country, there was the local whore, or more often, those at "honest" work who supplemented their income with a little on the side.
"Women who supported themselves as manure-spreaders, salt-gatherers and the like might well envy the financial rewards of prostitution, even if their superior morals preventing them from turning to it. " The average wage for a female spinner or weeder was, at most, 4 pence for a whole day's work. At the beginning of the 17th century a "bout" with a whore might cost 6d in the country and up to 20d in the city. Thus a "working girl" in town could make five times her sister's wage as a spinner. In 1649 Ann Morgan of Wells was offered a shilling by a patron and afterwards, she demanded 18d (1 shilling and 6 pence.) because the john had torn her coat and "hindered me the knitting of half a hose". (She was known to charge double the usual fee to soldiers.) There was also the possibility of upward mobility for those few who catered to the wealthy. In fact, one English ducal house descends from a certain Nell Gwynn, whose son was made a Duke by Charles II.
Most historians have not bothered to speculate about women who followed the armies, assuming that they were "parasitic, sex-starved vagrants" who insisted on attaching themselves to the armies. It is more likely that the vast majority were displaced peasant women who had no other means of survival. Portraying a recruiting camp in Scotland as we do, we would not have the large number of such war refugees as were present on the continent. (Remember, the war has been going on for 12 years by now.) Even so, a number of local "Campfollowers" would have taken their chances alongside the men -perhaps to find a soldier to protect them. Their life varying from hellish to tolerable according to the success or failure of the fortune of the army. The question is: as interpreters can we find a way to portray this aspect of life in a manner that won’t offend our visitors or reduce us to the jokes and double entendre of a renaissance festival.
Sources:
Roberts, Nickie. Whores in History, Prostitution in Western Society
Fraser, Antonia. The Weaker Vessel.