The Gilded Age...

What Dating Was Like In Victorian Times...

Victorian Opium Dens...

Historical Hair Growth Secrets (???)

The Myrtles, ~ a plantation house in St. Francisville, Louisiana, one the the most haunted houses in the United States...

Lillydale, New York, ~ a village of Victorian houses inhabited by psychic mediums...

Oh, ~ WOW!!!!!!!!...

Marguerite: The Weird And Outrageous, Part 2...

Now, the baker had a friend named Simon Laroquette, which was probably not his real name. Simon was a wicked deceiver, into every sort of devilish and cruel mischief. If it could make a profit and was illegal he did it or was indirectly involved in it. Simon claimed to be a bookseller and a tutor of the highest quality. He specialized in hiring himself out to old, lonely, wealthy widowed or spinster heiresses with nubile grand daughters or great nieces who needed education in the literary arts. Uh-HUM!!!... Well, Simon loved the bakery's eclaires too. (All that creamy custard filling!) And, that's how he met dainty Marguerite on a cloudless afternoon in May. He asked her if she would like to join him for a stroll around Montmarte, and with a sweet, gap-toothed smile, she readily agreed, linking her arm in his. Paris was delightful that day. No summer heat, and the flower, novelty sellers and street artists were on the cobblestone streets. One especially charming man in his mid-sixties with a head of thick, wavy white hair and twinkling blue eyes offered the nice-looking couple tiny glasses of creme de menthe, which Simon jokingly paid for with a gold coin. Marguerite's eyes lit up. She knew nothing about him, and she thought, ~ Ah, here's one I must get to know much better! Well, the day wore on and twilight came. The couple slipped into a quaint little inn. And, it seemed also natural for them to slip into bed. Simon aquitted himself marvelously and Marguerite showed her appreciation. They talked afterwards, until dawn. Then, they fell asleep in each others arms, sleeping until noon. Of course, they had told each other nothing but lies, lies, lies about their lives and experiences, as reprobates are apt to do when meeting new people.

Of course, all authors know, ~ no conflict means no story...

From"English Literature & Linguistics"...

"Annabel Lee" by Edgar Allan Poe It was many and many a year ago, In a kingdom by the sea, That a maiden there lived whom you may know By the name of Annabel Lee; And this maiden she lived with no other thought Than to love and be loved by me. I was a child and she was a child, In this kingdom by the sea, But we loved with a love that was more than love— I and my Annabel Lee— With a love that the wingèd seraphs of Heaven Coveted her and me. And this was the reason that, long ago, In this kingdom by the sea, A wind blew out of a cloud, chilling My beautiful Annabel Lee; So that her highborn kinsmen came And bore her away from me, To shut her up in a sepulchre In this kingdom by the sea. The angels, not half so happy in Heaven, Went envying her and me— Yes!—that was the reason (as all men know, In this kingdom by the sea) That the wind came out of the cloud by night, Chilling and killing my Annabel Lee. But our love it was stronger by far than the love Of those who were older than we— Of many far wiser than we— And neither the angels in Heaven above Nor the demons down under the sea Can ever dissever my soul from the soul Of the beautiful Annabel Lee; For the moon never beams, without bringing me dreams Of the beautiful Annabel Lee; And the stars never rise, but I feel the bright eyes Of the beautiful Annabel Lee; And so, all the night-tide, I lie down by the side Of my darling—my darling—my life and my bride, In her sepulchre there by the sea— In her tomb by the sounding sea.

From & related to "Gangs Of New York," with Leonardo Di Caprio, Claire Danes and Daniel Day Lewis as "The Butcher"... (I loved this movie!!!)

It was called the first detective story...

An Animated Biography Of Edgar Allen Poe...

What Birds Know...

From "Steampunk Lifestyle"...

From :Haunted Traditions," with James Meloy...

Written in 1894, ~ "The Sidewalks Of New York"...

"Soiled Doves" Of The Victorian Era...

Abandoned 19th Century Theatre...

"Gone With The Wind," & The Author Of It, ~ Margaret Mitchell: Some Fascinating Videos...

When I read the book I loved the scope of the story. Yes, how much of the Civil War it helped me to understand. I thought Scarlett was a selfish brat and was glad she didn't get Rhett. The movie, ~ I thought Viven Leigh was perfect as Scarlett, Mammy, Melanie, Ashley Wilkes, Suellen, ~ perfectly cast. But, Clark Gable as Rhett, ~ no. I see Rhett as More like a young Timothy Dalton, or a young Pierce Brosnan, or even a young Hugh Jackman...

Clips From "From Hell," ~ Based On The Award Winning Graphic Novel, And Starring Johnny Depp...

Marguerite: The Weird & Outrageous, ~ A Short Story, Part 1...

Marguerite was "un infant terrible," ~ a terrible child, but she was never really a child. (You know what I mean.) Well, of course, she was small once, and when she was full grown she was still tiny, being no more than four feet eleven. But, she was abnormally advanced in mind and spirit always, with a sly cunning, like an exquisite evil vixen fox.

But, her hair, rather than being red, was a silky platinum blond and it stayed that way, even when she was an adult. (She was such a diminutive beauty.) Marg, as she liked to call herself, said she was born on a murky Spring night under a streetlight in Pigalle, in Paris, but if that was true who could say? Her father was a grifter. Her mother was a streetwalker-pickpocket of the scrappiest type, picking fights with other soiled doves, continually, even when she was in labor. That Marguerite survived her birth was practically a miracle. She was taken under the wing of another streetwalker, a heart-of-gold type, who was nursing her own baby at the time. (Yes, Marguerite's mother rejected her, calling her "a squirmy little rat".) When Marguerite was twelve she delighted in dressing in adult clothes and seduced the son of a baker, who was eighteen. He wanted to marry her, but Marguerite would have none of that. However, she did develop a liking for chocolate eclaires. [To be continued.] --- Copyright by Antoinette Beard, 2023.

Clips From "Van Helsing"...

Gabriel Van Helsing, ~ investgator extraodinaire, goes afer Doctor Jeckle-Mister Hyde, then tackles female vampires, the wives of Count Dracula, in Romania, plus the Count himself, gets himself bit by a werewolf, and you just know nothing go-oo-od will come of that!!!...

The Daring Madame de Maintenon, ~ Louis XIV's Last Mistress & Secret Wife...

"Gigi," ~ the 1958 movie based on Colette's story of a girl born into a family of famous and scandalous mistresses......

The Tragic Life Of Beautiful Sisi, ~ Empress Of Austria...

Colette: French Writer, ~ best known for creating "Gigi"...

The Top Scandals The 19th & Early 20th Centuries...

Romanov Princess Tatiana, ~ In Color...

The Tragedy Of The Romanovs: Explained...

The Hunt For The Missing Fabrege Eggs...

19th Century Beauties Of The Russian Imperial Court Brought To "Life"...

My Short Story, "The Lunatic Girl," --- Part 3...

One of the orderlies approached me, a male orderly. He seemed to be leering. He grabbed my upper arm, led me away, down the long room to a bed with a screen behind it. "Get behind the screen and strip," he said. "NO!," I answered. "You will," he almost growled. "I WON"T!" He dragged me behind the screen. "I know why you're here," he said. "You're loose." "WHAT? How do you know such things? And, I am not loose!" He smiled, such a creepy smile. "Oh, anyone here, any of us medical persons, can look at the records. I saw you come in. When Ira went away I read the entry book. It said you have female hysteria and you're pregnant. You're unwed. You're pretty. Pretty girls are rare here." "You're filthy! Get away from me!" I screamed once more. Why weren't my screams bringing help, or at least attracting a bit of some sort of attention? He held my wrists with his powerful fingers. I struggled. He would rape me. I felt faint, perhaps, partly due to my condition, and, of course, the fright. He stood over me. He had dropped my wrists. I felt so, so sick and very faint. I was on my hands and knees, my mouth open, panting. A little drool fell from my lips. My stays felt like an iron band around my middle. I woke on the bed, face down on my belly. A dark haired woman was standing next to the bed, her arms folded across her chest. She looked down at me blankly. There was something wrong with her mouth. It looked swollen.

Then, the woman rushed off. I closed my eyes. I felt very, very sick, so shakey and ill. I heaved up the contents of my belly, over the edge of the bed. I closed my eyes again. I might have slept a bit, or fainted once more. A loud, harsh female voice woke me. Lucille!" She was standing next to the bed, a huge woman, her muscular arms ending in large clenched fists. "LUCILLE!" "Yes...," I answered, weakly. "You vomited, you pig! It will have to be cleaned up! You're clothes are a disgrace! You need to bathe and dress yourself neatly." She pointed to a small pile of clothing at the foot of the bed. "Pick those up and follow me." I did as she asked. We walked down the long room, empty eyes looking at us, the hollow-looking eyes of the inmates of this horrid place. We went throught a door to another big room. This was obviously the washroom. Metal bathtubs lined the walls and there were tables with yellow bars of soap and raggedy towels. The woman filled a tub half full with barely warm water. "Take a bath!," she ordered. I did as I was told, extremely embarrassed, as she watched me. I dried myself, put on the clothes. a shapeless gray cotton dress and a pair of long, rough wool stockings. "Follow me," the woman said. "The clothes you came in will be burned. That soap is very strong. It should have killed any lice. I hope your hair was not as infested as the hair of most of our patients. But, it will be shorn, just in case." "NO!," I said, touching my still damp locks. "Humph!," the woman snorted. "It will be, for cleanliness." --- Copyright 2023, by Antoinette Beard. (To read parts 1 & 2 check the "Search Box".)

Do You Remember The Mad Hatter & The March Hare From "Alice In Wonderland"?...

Rabbits can seem magucal...

A long-held view is that the hare will behave strangely and excitedly throughout its breeding season, which in Europe peaks in the month of March. This odd behavior includes boxing at other hares, jumping vertically for seemingly no reason and generally displaying abnormal behavior. An early verbal record of this animal's strange behavior occurred in about 1500, in the poem Blowbol's Test where the original poet said: Thanne þey begyn to swere and to stare, And be as braynles as a Marshe hare (Then they begin to swerve and to stare, And be as brainless as a March hare) Similar phrases are attested in the sixteenth century in the works of John Skelton (Replycacion, 1528: "Aiii, I saye, thou madde Marche Hare"; Magnyfycence, 1529: "As mery as a marche hare"). A later recorded use of the phrase occurs in the writings of Sir Thomas More (The supplycacyon of soulys made by syr Thomas More knyght councellour to our souerayn lorde the Kynge and chauncellour of hys Duchy of Lancaster. Agaynst the supplycacyon of beggars: "As mad not as a March hare, but as a madde dogge." Although the phrase in general has been in continuous use since the 16th century, It was popularised in more recent times by Lewis Carroll in his 1865 children's book Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, in which the March Hare is a memorable character.

The Victorian Fascination With All Things Ancient Egyptian & The Mummy Unwrapping Parties!!!...

"The Telltale Heart," by Edgar Allen Poe, --- a wonderfully creative animated film & a dramatic story reading...

"Carnival Row," --- a Victorian alternative world fantasy on Amazon Prime...

I love this!!!...

BRIEF CASE #20, --- The Sinister & Chilling Case Of Miss Helen Potts...

BRIEF CASE, #19 --- The Horrifying Case Of Maria Marten & The Red Barn...

BRIEF CASE, #18, --- The Dark & Wicked Case Of Henrietta Robinson...

Lizzie Borden...

"Elizabeh Borden took an ax and gave her father forty whacks... And, when she saw what she had done, she gave her mother forty-one." --- Very popular rhyme made up at the time of Lizzie Borden's murder trial. It was a scandalous murder trial in Fall River, Massachusetts. Elizabeth Borden was found not guilty. But, many folks thought she did it. She was a big girl, solemn of nature and secretive. During the trial she conducted herself with perfect decorum. An excellent movie of the incident was made in 1975, starring Elizabeth Montgomery... (***WATCH THE FULL MOVIE, below) ;)

BRIEF CASE #17, --- The Dark & Chilling Case Of John Knatchbull... (Before the Victorian Era, but an interesting case, nevertheless)

BRIEF CASE #16, --- From France, The Twisted & Disturbing Case Of Edme Castaing...

BRIEF CASE #15, --- The Twisted & Sinister Case Of Mary Ann Burdock...

"Unmentionable," --- hilarious non fiction book by Therese Oneil...

So funny and entertaining, about the Victorian era's view of Women-&-Sex... Loaded with original Victorian photos and ads... I loved it!!!...

...The rust proof corset, above. ;)

Isn't He Pretty?, --- TRULY... (A white crow would have to be very tough and courageous to survive)

***My Short Story: "The Lunatic Girl," Part 2...

It was Cranwell Lunatic Asylum I spied in the distance. Now, the horses leading the carriage in which I was imprisoned trotted briskly on a very long lane, their hooves clop-clopping the dark brown frozen ground. The carriage stopped in front of the building's imposing entrance, and the driver yanked the carriage door. The burly footman clumsily and roughly jostled me out, bound hand and foot and gagged, as I was, useless, so vainly struggling, as he half-carried me inside Cranwell. Immediately, two huge orderlies, a man and a woman came forth to silently take me from the footman, who then turned and left. I looked into the cold eyes of my attendants. They seemed angry, as if I was just another unavoidable bother they could hardly endure. The woman bent, untying my ankles. I could walk. One on either side of me, they hustled me down the corridor. We stopped at a tall and long desk made of scuffed and pitted wood. Behind it was a sour-looking man, no beauty, who reminded me of a human rat. He had small pale gray eyes and a mustache with, perhaps, three hundred stiff, wiry hairs in it, like a rat's long whiskers. He had a long nose like a shriveled parsnip and a stringy neck. Tufts of dark gray hair sprouted from the top and sides of his head. His ears were large, pinkish and translucent; they stuck out like a rodent's. He wore a wrinkled shirt and a black string tie; a threadbare and shiny black suit hung on his emaciated frame. The man nodded and my gag was removed. I sputtered,"I don't belong here! My, --- my father, Baron Edmund Addington, he forced me to!... I was kidnapped, forced into a carriage!..." The man held up his palm. "Quiet. You will be silent and reasonable or we shall be gagging you again. We strive for peace here. This is a place of healing and understanding, and you will you treated with kindness, but only if you cooperate." He fixed me with intense, squinting eyes. "If you insist on behaving in an irrational manner you will be dealt with firmly." I shut my mouth, truly frightened. Of course, I had heard the gossip that zooms around the homes of the gentry, as we were, as my people had been for generations. The aristrocracy very seldom has the priviledge of marrying for love. So, "unruly" wives of arranged marriages and, --- any female relations who step out of their accustomed roles in high society, are in danger of being "put away' for their safety and sanity, --- of course... It was a very wicked thing to do to family members of the "fair sex," but it happened all the time. Now, it was happening to me! The man, who I later learned was Ira Carbontle, brought a big book from under the desk, setting it on the surface. He opened the book, ran a long, bony finger with thick nails that were badly in need of trimming over names and entrys, until he came to one. "Ah, yes," he said, "are you Lucille Cecelia Addington?" "I told you my father is Baron Edmund Addington, so, --- yes, I am his daughter Lucille, naturally! And, it is Baroness Lucille Addington!" "Here you are simply Lucille Addington and you will mind." "Mind!" "Yes, mind. If you don't..." "Are you threatening me?" His voice was annoyingly patronizing. "You have been brought here for a reason, Lucille. You are mentally and emotionally disturbed. Your father has told us of your condition. You will be evaluated, and examined for further abnormalities. Your father has sorrowfully told us that he believes you have slipped into insanity, that you are suffering from female hysteria brought on by an overwhelming and uncontrolled surge of feminine humors, which has led to a pregnancy. So sad in such a young and unwed woman..." I gritted my teeth. "I am not insane!" Ira closed the book, placed it back under the desk. He folded his hands on the desk's surface, looked at me with false compassion. "You are." He nodded to the orderlies, who still held my upper arms. They hustled me dowm the long corridor. We went through two swinging doors. Upon entering this part of the corridor we were greeted with what I would call an explosion of noise, --- all from shrieking human voices. The cacophony came from people lining or huddled against walls constructed mostly of very thick panes of glass in front of iron bars. Some people sat in chairs too, or on benches. Others crouched on the floor like wild beasts, waiting to pounce. Many sat with their knees drawn up, their faced buried against their thighs. Some paced back and forth, back and forth, back and forth. Some stared ahead, their eyes lifeless. Some jerked and trembled, with rolling eyes, like frightened and pathetic sheep.

One woman seemed to have her left eye going in the opposite dirextion from her right.

We walked on, turned a corner, went through another set of double doors. We were in a long room lined with narrow metal beds, made up neatly with white sheets. Next to one bed stood women and men, and a man in a white coat, all most certainly extra medical personnel and a doctor, plus two men in black suits, one man wearing a stovepipe hat. This man's clothes were very shabby, even dusty. He had thick black brows, a scraggly black beard and was frowning, as if he had an extremely distasteful job to do. The doctor looked strangely interested, even happy. On the bed next to them was a figure covered with a sheet; a white towel covered the figure's face.

"Unbind her," the man in the stovepipe hat said, "but, can't you fools see how busy we are?" --- Copyright 2023, by Antoinette Beard.

The Victorian Shop That Made Rags Into Riches...

BRIEF CASE #14: The Disturbing & Sad Case Of Anna Mansdotter, --- from mid nineteenth century Sweden...

BRIEF CASE #13: The Dark & Disturbing Case Of Ane Cathrine Anderdatter, --- from mid nineteenth century Denmark...

"She Walks In Beauty," By George Gordon, Lord Byron...

It is said to have been inspired by an event in Byron's life. On 11 June 1814, Byron attended a party in London. Among the guests was Mrs. Anne Beatrix Wilmot, wife of Byron's first cousin, Sir Robert Wilmot. He was struck by her unusual beauty, and the next morning the poem was written... ***"She walks in beauty, like the night Of cloudless climes and starry skies; And all that’s best of dark and bright Meet in her aspect and her eyes; Thus mellowed to that tender light Which heaven to gaudy day denies. One shade the more, one ray the less, Had half impaired the nameless grace Which waves in every raven tress, Or softly lightens o’er her face; Where thoughts serenely sweet express, How pure, how dear their dwelling-place. And on that cheek, and o’er that brow, So soft, so calm, yet eloquent, The smiles that win, the tints that glow, But tell of days in goodness spent, A mind at peace with all below, A heart whose love is innocent!"

Queen Victoria's 7 Assassination Attempts...

Lady Hastings was Queen Victoria's mother's lady-in-waiting, --- then...

Oooo!!!... The Nasty Secrets Of Victorian Era Leaders!!!...

The Maybrick Poisoning Case...

She was found guilty of poisoning her husband...

10 Victorian Scandals, --- By Nene Adams...

The rise of cheap, sensational newspapers in the nineteenth century meant that shocking scandals weren’t just whispered about behind fluttering fans and raised teacups. Ordinary members of the public could sit down at the breakfast table and over tea and toast, read every juicy, salacious, delicious detail of who did what and to whom.Sadly, Honey Boo Boo wouldn’t be born for another century-plus, so reading newspapers, penny press publications, and scandal sheets was a way for the public to sate its appetite for the disturbing, the sinful, the extraordinary, and the downright ugly. Criminal conversation, beastly behavior, sexual shenanigans … it’s all here in these ten shocking scandals that rocked nineteenth century society to its well-bred core... #10 “The Boy Who Visits the Palace” December 1840 Edward Jones, seventeen years old, son of a tailor and by all accounts as unattractive as homemade sin, was discovered in Buckingham Palace in the dressing room next to Queen Victoria’s bedroom. The queen had recently given birth to her first child. As it turned out, this wasn’t the first time Jones had made himself at home in the palace. He’d been sneaking in since 1838. Worse, he’d once been caught with the queen’s underwear stuffed down his pants! His arrest had the newspapers dubbing him, the “Boy Jones.” Despite increased security, he would cause more furor over an apparent inability to stay away from the palace—he was caught again in 1841 and sentenced to hard labor. Eventually, he went to Australia. #9 “The Great Convent Case” February 1869 The case of Saurin v. Starr and Kennedy stirred up English anti-Catholic sentiments as well as selling a great many newspapers and scurrilous pamphlets. Susan Saurin (formerly Sister Mary Scolastica) sued her mother superior, Mrs. Starr, for libel and conspiracy, claiming she’d been unfairly expelled from the convent. The trial played to a packed courtroom. Witnesses gave accounts of Saurin’s supposed crimes, which included eating strawberries and cream (the wicked woman!) and being “excited” in the presence of a visiting priest. To the Protestant jury’s great disappointment, the mother superior later testified she hadn’t meant that kind of excitement. Verdict for the plaintiff; ₤500 damages awarded. #8 “The Men Who Flogged Haynau” September 1850 HaynauDuring the Hungarian Revolution of 1848 against the Austrian Empire, a man stood out for his violent tactics in suppressing the revolutionaries: Julius Jacob von Haynau, an Austrian general who earned the nickname, “the Hyena.” News of his brutality, particularly against Hungarian women, excited much anger in the English public. So much so that when Haynau visited a brewery during a trip to London in 1850, the draymen—drivers of the wagons used to deliver the barrels of beer—attacked him with whips, brooms, and stones. His magnificent moustaches were torn, his clothes ripped off, and the dread “Hangman of Arad,” abandoning his dignity, fled to a nearby inn for sanctuary. The newspapers had a field day. #7 “The Charges Proved” February, 1870 LadymordauntWhen Lady Harriet Mordaunt’s daughter was born, doctors thought she might be blind. Lady Mordaunt feared syphilis and confessed to her husband, Sir Charles, that she’d been often unfaithful to him. Among her lovers was the Prince of Wales (Queen Victoria’s eldest son, heir to the throne, and later King Edward VII). This bombshell resulted in the infamous Mordaunt divorce trial. Technically, the trial was meant to settle whether Lady Mordaunt was sane enough for a divorce to proceed. To the queen’s fury, the married Prince of Wales was called upon to testify about his relationship with Lady Mordaunt in open court. He denied the adultery. The jury decided the lady suffered from “puerperal mania”—post partum depression. She was committed to an asylum. The divorce was eventually granted. #6 “All That We Publish, We Shall Defend” January 1877 Fruits Of PhilosophyAnnie Besant, a noted feminist, Theosophist, and women’s rights activist, and Charles Bradlaugh, an infamous atheist, published The Fruits of Philosophy: the Private Companion for Young Married Couples, a pamphlet by an American doctor, Charles Knowlton, and previously judged obscene. Why? The subject was contraception. Public discussion of sex was regarded as disgraceful. Twenty minutes after the first copies went on sale, the pair were arrested following a complaint by the Society for the Suppression of Vice. Their trial was a sensation. The jury decided Besant and Bradlaugh hadn’t meant to deprave the public and they were ordered not to republish the pamphlet. They republished it anyway. 5 “Men in Petticoats” July 1854 Prince 1954 21 10In London, at the Druid’s Hall (the meeting place for the Ancient Order of Druids and occasionally hired out to non-Druids) during a masked ball, George Campbell, thirty five years old, and John Challis, sixty years old, were apprehended by the police for “exciting others to commit an unnatural offense.” Both men were dressed in women’s clothes. Homosexuality being illegal, a trial proceeded which scandalized the city. Campbell claimed he’d only gone to the party in a dress so he could witness the “vice” for himself and later preach against it. Both men’s character witnesses painted impeccable pictures. They were let off with stern warnings. #4 “Unspeakable Baseness” June 1875 Valentine Baker Pasha While traveling to London by train, Colonel Valentine Baker, a respected military figure and friend of the Prince of Wales, was accused of raping Rebecca Dickenson, twenty-two years old. At the trial, Dickenson alleged that the colonel had tried to raise her skirts, put his hand in her underwear, and kiss her many times on the lips. To save her virtue, though the train was in motion, she escaped to the step outside the first class railway carriage and clung there, screaming for help. Baker’s trial caused discussion over the British class system since it was argued, quite rightly, that if he’d been in third class, he’d have gotten away with it. Although he escaped the rape charge, he was convicted of committing an indecent assault. #3 “Concerned in an Unspeakably Gross Case” July 1889 When a policeman stopped to question a fifteen year old telegraph boy about why he had eighteen shillings in his pocket in today’s money, that’s about ₤77 or $122 USD), he kicked off a scandal that reached all the way to the British royal family. The boy hadn’t stolen the money—he’d earned it sleeping with gentlemen at a house on Cleveland Street, and so did other young telegraph boys. Scotland Yard raided the house. Among the well connected visitors was Lord Arthur Somerset, the Duke of Beaufort’s son. Prince Victor Albert, nicknamed “Prince Eddy” was also an alleged customer. While the British press kept his name out of the papers, American and French reporters weren’t so circumspect. Several of the men involved in the pedophilia ring – including Somerset – fled the country to avoid prosecution. 2 “He Did Not Make Me His Wife” April 1854 1846, after wedding John Ruskin, the leading critic of the age, the beautiful, young, and bright Euphemia “Effie” Gray expected her life to go the usual wife and motherhood route. Instead, the older Ruskin put off consummating the marriage. And put it off, and put it off until years later, she met and fell in love with another man, John Everett Millais, a Pre-Raphaelite painter and Ruskin’s protégé. She abandoned her unhappy marriage to Ruskin in 1854 and filed for annulment on the grounds that she was still a virgin. The revelations caused unflattering comment on her character in the papers. She married Millais, though she paid a price—never again would she be allowed to attend a social event if Queen Victoria was present. She probably didn’t mind that much, since she and Millais had eight children together. #1 “A Somewhat Uncertain Character” February 1861 When William Charles Yelverton met, wooed, and ultimately became twenty year old Theresa Longworth’s lover, he “ruined” her in the eyes of Victorian society because they weren’t married. She accepted his excuses, took to public speaking to support their life together, even going so far as to follow him to Scotland and Ireland so their affair could continue, but eventually, she expected a wedding. She got the matrimonial ring in a secret church ceremony in 1857. She also got a shock a year later when Yelverton made a bigamous marriage to another woman. Theresa eventually took him to court seeking alimony. He insisted their marriage was invalid because of their religious differences—he was Catholic and she was Protestant. After many appeals, the case went in his favor.

Some Victorian Scandals, By Michelle Morgan...

THE BLOODY BATTERSEA BRIDGE MURDER The Victorians had a thirst for scandal and this was apparent when Augustus Dalmas admitted murdering his lover Sarah MacFarlane after a torrid affair, which began shortly after the death of his wife. MacFarlane was rumoured to be a prostitute with several lovers but Dalmas could not resist her. However he felt so guilty about the dalliance that he bombarded the woman with hate mail, blaming her for their active sex life. Then in April 1844, Dalmas sliced MacFarlane’s throat during a walk on London’s Battersea Bridge. But instead of being hanged for murder, he was shipped off to Australia where he lived for many years. THE BATTERED BODY BENEATH THE FLAGSTONES Maria Manning thought she had it all: a husband, a lover and her lover’s cash. But she soon realised that she loved the money more than the man so, together with her husband Frederick, she plotted to rid herself of lover Patrick O’Connor and keep his fortune. After inviting him to dinner in August 1849, one or both of the Mannings shot O’Connor and buried him under the kitchen flagstones. Maria stole all his money but when Frederick laid claim to his half, she double-crossed him and ran away to Scotland. When O’Connor’s body was found and the couple arrested, they each blamed the other. They were hanged in November 1849, in front of a crowd that included novelist Charles Dickens. MABEL LOVE, THE PUBLICITY EXPERT Still in her teens, actress Mabel Love failed to turn up at The Gaiety Theatre in March 1889 and a frantic search followed. For days newspapers were full of theories and Mabel was “spotted” all over the UK. In truth she had fled to Dublin where she tried to find work. When she returned to London, she was fired from her job at The Gaiety and only reinstated when her parents pleaded with the manager. Then in July 1889 Mabel was rescued after throwing herself into the Thames. Her workload at The Gaiety was blamed but some wondered if her disappearance and suicide attempt were merely clever publicity stunts. Certainly the scandal was enough to keep her name in the headlines for many years to come. THE STRANGE CONFESSION OF PRISCILLA GUPPY In November 1857 Priscilla Guppy was living out her last days in Weymouth, Dorset. What no one knew was that 65 years earlier she had worked in a brothel. When the 90-year-old confessed, her family were shocked. But then a sensational tale followed. A fight had broken out in the brothel between two men and Guppy hit one over the head, killing him. With help from two customers, she dumped the body under a bridge. Although they were arrested, lack of evidence meant all three walked free. “I beat him in the head with an iron! May God have mercy on my soul.” Guppy died shortly afterwards, once again escaping justice for her grisly crime. THE SAD TALE OF BERTHA DENNIS In late 1884, young cook Bertha Dennis was raped and became pregnant. In March 1885 she decided to seek advice from her aunt but was stopped at the station by a mysterious woman. “Mrs X” encouraged Bertha to go to her house, which was actually a brothel, and in the following weeks Bertha was subjected to vile abuse. When she gave birth her son was taken away and she never discovered what happened to him. Eventually, Bertha managed to escape the house of horrors but no charges were ever brought against “Mrs X”, due to the victim’s reluctance to give precise details of where the brothel was located.

Victorian Bad Guys, --- REALLY!!!......

***Amelia Dyer spent 20 years killing infants that were left in her care. In 1869, now a widow, she turned to baby farming. This meant she adopted unwanted infants in exchange for money. At first she took care of them as best she could, but some of them died, and she was punished with 6 months of hard labour. Once free, she started killing the children purposely. This was likely because it was cheaper, and involved less labour. She was recognised as being mentally unstable and spent a lot of time in different mental institutions. After a dead infant was found in a river, she was discovered to be the culprit, and sentenced to hanging. ***Sarah Freeman was one of the most famous Victorian criminals of the era, a grand total of 11,000 people watched her hang on April 23, 1845. Freeman left her hometown, and moved to Bridgewater to become a lady of the night, so she was likely desperate for money. She married a man named Henry Freeman, but then he suspiciously died of arsenic poisoning. She collected a sum of money after he died due to insurance. At some point she moved back in with her family but they all mysteriously died as well. Then her brother died as well. They all died of arsenic poisoning. After examining the bodies, it became obvious she had poisoned them. ***By day, William Brodie was a respectable tradesman, and Edinburgh City Councillor, by night, he was a devilish housebreaker, who did it for the thrill, and to fund his gambling problem. Part of his day job was to fix locks. Because of this, it was easier for him to break into the houses of the people’s whose locks he had worked on. Through his job he would copy their keys, allowing him to just waltz in to the houses of his victims. When inside he would steal their money, and valuables. He was one of the most trusted locksmiths in Edinburgh, and was asked to work on some of the most expensive houses in the city. Eventually he led a gang of thieves. In his private life he had 5 children with two different mistresses. .

It was a job children could do, --- rat catcher!...

😧😩😪😵🐀🐀🐀 >>>

Child Rat Catchers of the Victorian Era

By Geri Walton | December 4, 2013 | 0 

By the Victorian Era it was common knowledge that rats carried diseases, and thousands of them were known to infest London sewers, factories, and homes just like they had infested France in Montfaucon in 1828. In the seasons when rats overran London, rat catchers were in high demand. Moreover, rats could be a big problem as reported by one Victorian rat catcher:

“One pair of rats … with their progeny, will produce in three years no less a number than 646,808 rats, which will consume day by day as much food as 64,680 men, leaving eight rats to starve.”[1]

Water rat and two common rats, Author’s collection.

To solve the rat problem, the demand for rat catchers can be demonstrated by William Jures. He often ran ads for rat catching positions with his want ads reading:

“Rats! Rats!! Rats!!! Wanted, engagements for exterminating the above Pests – Apply to William Jures, Professional Rat Catcher (with box traps), New steads, Cathill, late of Saddler’s Hall.[2]

“Buy a Trap, a Rat-trap, Buy My Trap” by Thomas Rowlandson. Public domain.

Many children preferred catching rats to cleaning chimneys, working in coal mines, or hawking wares. One reason rat catching was popular with the youth was because it was lucrative. De-ratting English manors and businesses earned rat catchers wages that ranged from two shillings to one pound. However, because rat catchers had to make an investment and at least own a terrier or a ferret, many rat catchers were older youths.

Rat catchers were also rat killers. To kill a rat was a straight forward task. Rat catchers often claimed to have alluring secret poisons, but in reality their prime rat-killing poison was plain old arsenic. The arsenic was mixed with “toasted cheese, or bacon, or fried liver, or tallow, or oatmeal.”[3]

A second way to kill rats involved ferrets and terriers. Ferrets would flush the rats out and trained terriers would seize them. Born a year before Eliza de Feuillide died, author Henry Mayhew wrote in his book London Labour and the London Poor, that terriers would “throttle them silently, excepting the short squeak, or half-squeak, of the rat, who, by a ‘good dog’, is seized unerringly by the part of the back where the terrier’s gripe and shake is speedy death.”[4]

Using these methods, the Newcastle Daily Chronicle reported on a rat catcher of the early 1860s named Mr. Matthew French of Hexham. He was better known as “Matt the Rover,” and, supposedly, in a single day he “with the aid of his four astute ferrets, and his ‘two game little terriers,’ [took, killed, and slayed] … the enormous number of three hundred rats.”[5]

French version of the rat catcher in the seventeenth century. Courtesy of Bibliothèque nationale de France.

If the pervasive disease-ridden varmints needed to be captured alive, there were several ways to accomplish the job. One way was to have the ferret flush out the rat and drive it into some contrivance. This was the best way to catch rats used for blood sports because it left no visible injuries, a requirement for the sport. (One popular blood sport was rat-baiting. It involved filling a pit with rats and placing bets on how long it would take a dog, usually a terrier, to kill them.)

The second reason rats were captured alive was to breed and sell as house pets. One famous rat catcher named Jack Black worked as Queen Victoria’s personal rat catcher and caught all sorts of rats, including unusual colored ones. He bred them and sold them to well-bred women who kept them in squirrel cages as pets. Jack began as a child rat catcher and in an interview in the 1800s with Mayhew he claimed:

“I should think I’ve been ratting a’most for five-and-thirty year. I’ve been bitten nearly everywhere, even where I can’t name and right through my thumbnail too … When a rat’s bite touches the bone, it make you feel faint in a minute, and it bleeds dreadful like you have ben stuck with a penknife. … The first rats I caught was when I was about nine years of age. After that I bought some ferrets, and I was, I think, the first that regularly began to hunt rats to ‘sterminate them.[6]

Jack Black. Courtesy of Wikipedia.

References:

• [1] A Rat-catcher on Rats, in Manchester Courier and Lancashire General Advertise, p. 3.
• [2] “Wanted,” in Alnwick Mercury, 24 October 1885, pg. 4.
• [3] Mayhew, Henry, London Labour and the London Poor, Vol. 1, 1851, p. 503.
• [4] Ibid.
• [5] “Rat Slaughter Extraordinary,” in Newcastle Daily Chronicle, 26 December 1861, pg. 3
• [6] BBC2 Shows what Mayhew’s London was Really Like, in Illustrated London News, 2 April 1966, p. 16.