Did you know that from the 12th to 17th century Southwark in London was controlled by the Bishop of Winchester? Among other powers, the Bishop had the right to license and tax the borough’s prostitutes, they became known as the ‘Winchester Geese’. Lucy Coleman Talbot sheds light on the Bishops involvement, as well as the suffering endured by medieval sex workers and how we know their story from a graveyard.
There were many rules that the ‘Winchester Geese’ ー or legal sex workers ー had to follow, including:
Ordinance No. 14: No whore to entice any man into the brothel by pulling on his coat or any other item of clothing. Fine: 20 shillings.
And it wasn’t just the rules that made life for a Winchester Goose full of struggle. Lucy Coleman Talbot tells their story that was almost lost to history.
Lucy Coleman Talbot is in the final stages of her PhD at the University of Winchester, her work focuses on the materiality of myth and ritual, heritage from below and the heritage management of difficult history. Lucy's focus is the Cross Bones Graveyard in Southwark, London, a site of community reclamation and a rich social history with mythic origins.
The Outcast Dead R.I.P
Redcross Mary
FURTHER RESOURCES AND A CALL TO ACTION!
Learn more about the Cross Bones Graveyard and the Winchester Geese here.