Yet again, Harriette gives us a fabulous insight into the world of a Regency Courtesan

One of the one liners I use from my first novel, Illicit Love, which was inspired by Harriette’s memoirs, to advertise this book, is, ‘Choice was a holy grail; a cup fallen woman longed to drink from.’ It’s stories like this one which inspired this point of view.

As usual, I will quickly give some background to this series of posts, for anyone who is starting to read them today. If you’ve already read this, then pick up the story after the italics.

In 1825 Harriette Wilson, a courtesan, published a series of stories as her memoirs in a British broad sheet paper. The Regency gentleman’s clubs were a buzz, waiting to see the next names mentioned each week. While barriers had to be set up outside the shop of her publisher, Stockdale, to hold back the disapproving mob.

Harriette was born Harriette Debochet, she chose the name Harriette Wilson as her professional name, in the same way Emma Hart, who I’ve blogged about previously, had changed her name. Unlike Emma, it isn’t known why or when Harriette changed her name.

She was one of nine surviving children. Her father was a watchmaker and her mother a stocking repairer, and both were believed to be from illegitimate origin.

Three of Harriette’s sisters also became courtesans. Amy, Fanny and Sophia (who I have written about before). So the tales I am about to begin in my blogs will include some elements from their lives too.

For a start you’ll need to understand the world of the 19^th Century Courtesan. It was all about show and not just about sex. The idle rich of the upper class aspired to spending time in the company of courtesans, it was fashionable, the thing to do.

You were envied if you were linked to one of the most popular courtesans or you discovered a new unknown beauty to be admired by others.

Courtesans were also part of the competitive nature of the regency period too, gambling was a large element of the life of the idle rich and courtesans were won and lost and bartered and fought for.

So courtesans obviously aspired to be one of the most popular, and to achieve it they learnt how to play music, read widely, so they could debate, and tried to shine in personality too. They wanted to be a favoured ’original’.

The eccentric and outspoken was admired by gentlemen who liked to consort with boxers and jockeys, and coachmen, so courtesans did not aim for placid but were quite happy to insult and mock men who courted them, and demand money for any small favour.

So the person running out of choice this week is Julia Storer, Harriette’s close friend. Having enjoyed a long affair with a married man, Julie had a number of children, but since meeting Harriette, Julia had tired of the man she’d fallen for in her youth, and she was not only on the Courtesan market, along with Harriette and her sisters, but also deep in debt.

As when Harriette had been in this position, this was the moment that choice died.

Julia had begun an affair with a young man she fancied, I don’t know if it was love, or not, there isn’t any really indication, but what Harriette tells us now, is that Mildmay, the man in question, is losing interest in Julia, even though Julia is still interested him. But more importantly, Mildmay was not paying Julia’s bills.

Harriette and her sister, Amy, deem it time to intervene.

We have a glimpse now of how the courtesans controlled the men who favoured them. Amy had a potential suitor, a wealthy young man, whose income they claim is £3000 per year, but they say he has a £100,000 saved. However, his down side is that his body is not particularly attractive. So Amy decides he is the perfect suitor for poor, Julia, who has less choice.

To pacify Julia, Harreitte persuades Julia’s current favourite to go to Julia once more, with the promise that if he does, then he can see Harriette privately. She had no intention of giving him any favours, it’s just manipulation.

Then to Napier, the man she wishes Julia to have, she makes it clear that Julia is from an aristocratic family, the daughter of a maid of honour! Both Harriette, and Amy, encourage him to speak to Julia.

Once the two had been first put together, no differently than a day dress, and a pelisse, Harriette calls on Julia, and adds further persuasion. Pointing out to Julia, that she needs the money or she will be in jail, and what will happen to her children then?

Despite claiming to really dislike the man, Julia accepts this is true, and agrees she will seek to begin a longer term relationship with Napier, only because he is wealthy.

Fortunately for Julia, when Harriette skips back to Julia’s story later, it’s to share, that although Julia had not liked Napier, once she’d begun her affair with him, her opinion changed, and she did come to like him after all. But as for his wealth, and the hope he would support Julia’s nine children, that did not end quite so well, in that Harriette records her sister Fanny, saying, Napier would give Julia nothing by choice. So, Julia had to refuse to give him any favours until he gave her money. Therefore completely stripping any pretence of romance from the courtesan’s role.

Poor Julia, Harriette does paint her as someone to be pitied. But Julia did also write her own memoirs, claiming half of Harriette’s to be untrue. 🙂

Jane Lark is a writer of authentic, passionate and emotional love stories.

See the side bar for details of Jane’s books, and Jane’s website www.janelark.co.uk to learn more about Jane. Or click ‘like’ on Jane’s Facebook page to see photo’s and learn historical facts from the Georgian, Regency and Victorian eras, which Jane publishes there. You can also follow Jane on twitter at @janelark

Lord Deerhurst continues his villainy

I wrote about Harriette Wilson’s younger sister Sophia in an earlier post, but Sophia’s story didn’t end there and nor did Lord Deerhurst’s villainy.

Here, Harriette tells us what happened next for her sister.

For anyone who hasn’t read this series of post before, here’s the background, if you have read them already then please skip to then end of the italics as usual.

She was one of nine surviving children. Her father was a watchmaker and her mother a stocking repairer, and both were believed to be from illegitimate origin.

You were envied if you were linked to one of the most popular courtesans or you discovered a new unknown beauty to be admired by others.

I have already made it clear in earlier posts, speaking of Lord Deerhurst, the man was a miser. So, of course, when he is ready to dispense with the very young Sophia, who he seduced without shame, leaving her little option other than to become a courtesan, does he do it honestly? A man who would drive his carriage at speed through a toll gate, rather than pay a few pennies? Hardly.

No Lord Deerhurst deploys more trickery.

Harriette says she happened to call on her sister at eight in the evening, and not long after she arrived, the young Colonel Berkeley arrived too. He was a friend of Lord Deerhurst’s and ever since Deerhurst had set Sophia up in – what Harriette deemed – a shabby house – as his mistress, Colonel Berkeley had been a regular caller, it had been clear he liked Sophia, a lot, but Harriette claims there was nothing inappropriate going on between them.

However, barely minutes after the Colonel arrived, Lord Deerhurst came in, and then immediately cried out, appearing distressed and horrified with Sophia, claiming he had never thought she would treat him in this way.

Harriette says he cried very real looking tears, and was in so much distress he sat on the stairs while the landlady fetched him some refreshment.

His inference was, poor Sophia had been playing him false with the Colonel, “Did you believe that young creature so depraved?” He said to her landlady. But Harriette was a little older and wiser to believe his nonsense, especially when the Colonel did not appear to be bothered by the appalling charge, in the least, and adding to that, she knew the two men were close friends and they had arrived within minutes of each other, Harriette’s suspicion was tweaked.

She accused Deerhurst then, of having brought his friend with him and sending the Colonel into the house first, so that he might then claim to have found them together, because, should Sophia be unfaithful, he would save himself two hundred pounds a year, as he could simply cut her off. (The Miser)

He denied it of course, as did the Colonel at first, but once Deerhurst had left, the Colonel, believing his friend truly upset now, said he had better follow but he had to wait for his vehicle, and admitted driving here in Deerhurst’s carriage. Harriette asked to go with him, and he took her there.

Harriette discovered Lord Deerhurst fully restored at home.

But Colonel Berkeley was still uncertain if Lord Deerhurst had been upset or not, wondering if the Colonel’s attentions to Sophia, all be they innocent, had truly caused his friend offence, and he charged Lord Deerhurst to make himself cry again and prove he had not really been upset. Which Deerhurst did, proving Harriette right. She must have cursed the day her sister first met this fool.

Harriette, in these aspects of her memoirs, implies that she’s really protective of Sophia, their relationship does change later, but I wonder if at the time, Harriette felt guilty for having set Sophia such a poor role model.

Jane Lark is a writer of authentic, passionate and emotional love stories.