Prostitutes Winchester

Historical Context and Burial Ground

A recent vigil in the UK forms part of the ongoing struggle to establish a proper memorial for historical prostitutes. On 28-Aug-2020, efforts continued to recognize the women known as the Winchester Geese. The Cross Bones graveyard in Southwark served as the final resting place for these women of the night. The term “Winchester Geese” specifically referred to the prostitutes operating in the Liberty of the Clink, an area under the Bishop of Winchester’s jurisdiction during medieval times. These women proliferated in Southwark, working in licensed brothels known as stewhouses.

Medieval Exploitation and Modern Parallels

Guest posts and historical accounts detail how the Bishops of Winchester grew rich from brothel rents, shares in profits, and fines imposed on the prostitutes themselves. Church teachings condemned prostitution, denying these women Christian burial, hence their internment at Cross Bones. The phrase ‘bitten by a Winchester goose’ was a Tudor euphemism for syphilis. Bishop Henry of Blois was notably the largest brothel owner in England in 1161. In spite of this historical exploitation, modern arrests for prostitution, like the sting at Eden Health Spa in Winchester on June 11 leading to an arrest, show the ongoing legal complexities.

Memorialization Efforts

The Cross Bones site gained renewed attention around 05-Jun-2018. Memorials at Cross Bones now honour the estimated 15,000 outcasts, primarily the Winchester Geese, buried there. The struggle to memorialize them continues, as seen on 24-Aug-2022. It serves as a powerful symbol for the historical treatment of sex workers. The term reflects the complex, often exploitative relationship between the church, authority, and prostitution in medieval London.

*TAGS* – Cross Bones graveyard, Liberty of the Clink, medieval brothels Southwark