Prostitution was widespread.
Unknown Author/Wikimedia Commons
Unknown Author/Wikimedia Commons
Since women were shut out of most jobs, it was tough to make a go of it for a woman without a husband. Many of these women turned to prostitution to support themselves — and for many years, prostitution was legal in most of England.
Laws surrounding prostitution were mostly meant to protect men — not women — from venereal diseases. Over time, this poor treatment prompted an early feminist movement. British parliament responded by passing the Criminal Law Amendment Act of 1885, which added some protections for women.