Life for gay men in the past was tough. Persecution and discrimination led them to leave lives of secrecy. It is easy to assume that their lives must have been full of misery and anguish, right? Well, sort of… Even though there is lots of truth in all of that, gay men in the past still found ways to enjoy life, express themselves, and have some fun…
What is a Molly House?
Coming from Latin ‘mollis’, meaning soft or delicate, ‘molly’ was 18th-century slang for a camp, effeminate and presumably gay man. The pubs, clubs and coffee houses in which they would meet were therefore known as ‘molly houses’. These ‘gay bars’ were a uniquely London phenomenon and could be found in areas that already had reputations as being a little rough around the edges like Covent Garden, Moorfields, Shoreditch and around the Royal Exchange. One molly house visitor in 1709 described the clientele as “a curious band of fellows…”. Often fuelled by London’s booming, but not-at-all-regulated gin trade, men in Molly houses would drink, dance, dress as women, give each other female names and on some occasions even perform extravagant (and fake) marriage ceremonies. Sometimes there would be a room or two at the back of the pub in which the men could have some privacy, but that wasn’t a given. They were mostly about having a fun olde time.
Were there famous Molly Houses?
There was Miss Muff’s Molly House (real name John Muff) in Whitechapel and The White Swan near Drury Lane, but the most famous was Mother Clap’s in Holborn. Mother Clap, or Margaret, was the wife of the landlord, John. It is reported that some evenings thirty, forty or even fifty men could be found in there, dancing together or ’making curtsies’ whilst addressing each other as ‘milady’ or ‘madame’. On occasion, Margaret Clap also used the coffee house to hide wanted ‘sodomites’, and she even counter-testified at a few trials.
Who was against Molly Houses?
Unfortunately, the good times wouldn’t last. The ‘Society for the Reformation of Manners’ had been set up in the late 17th century during the reign of King James II. In reaction to James’ Catholicism, this group set itself up to protect Protestant values. By the 1720s the group had grown and included some magistrates. Despite the fact that their main target was prostitution, many of the magistrates in the group were not scared to use their authority to order raids and arrests inside various molly houses too, including Mother Clap’s.
What happened at Mother Clap’s Molly House?
In February 1726, forty men were arrested outside the front of her molly house. Although men could often claim they were drunk or use their wives and children as proof that they were innocent of the crime of sodomy, this wasn’t an option for everyone. Many of the group were given prison sentences or fines, six of them were given prison and the pillory, three were sentenced to death. Gabriel Laurence, William Griffin and Thomas Wright were hung at Tyburn near Hyde Park on 9th May 1726.
What happened to Mother Clap?
And what of Margaret ‘Mother’ Clap herself? She was found guilty of ‘keeping a disorderly house and entertaining sodomites’ and sentenced to six months in prison and the pillory. She was pelted with rotten eggs, dead cats, and rocks.
It is a sad story, but this well-recorded trial is one of the most revealing sources regarding London’s molly houses, which went into decline during the latter half of the 18th century and disappeared in the 19th as Victorian morality became more strict. Nonetheless, there is something quite modern about 18th-century Molly Houses. Some argue that they were prototype gay bars, but others disagree. Some say they were just a flash in the pan. Either way, they certainly gave 18th-century gay Londoners a chance to drink, laugh and be merry! (Or should that be ‘Mary’…?) Curious to learn more, why not join one of our Free LGBTQ+ History Tours? Or check out all our tours here.
