Ladies of the Night

I love the way 19th century journalists wrote about the ladies of the night. 

 

Julia Julian of Hobart-town

http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article233613376

 25 Jan 1833 

Julia Julian, appeared with downcast eye, labouring
evidently under great distress of mind, to answer
the charge of Mrs. Mary Thomas, residing on the
Jetty, where she now reigns the Sovereign Queen of
her frail sisterhood. Mrs. Thomas complained that
Julia, whom she had taken into her "discreet and
sober house," had so repeatedly strayed from the path
of virtue, and returned home drunk and outrageous,
that she could no longer keep her under her fostering
care ; and that on communicating her intentions to the
fair one, she flew in a rage and threw a tumbler at her
head ; for which she now prayed restitution and justice.
At the request however of the complainant,
at this stage of the proceeding, the charge was with
drawn, and both ladies withdrew in seeming friend
ship. 

 

The Misses Moffatt of Adelaide

Here is an Amelia Moffatt with a number of other Moffats arriving in 1840:

MORGAN David (1st arr 1837 Lady Emma), Christina MOFFATT nee POPLE, Priscilla MOFFATT, Selina MOFFATT, Amelia MOFFATT, dau MOFFATT arrived in SA 1840-06-10 aboard Orleana from London 40-02-29. My goodness! What a lot of Moffatts, and all female! Mr Morgan apparently came to check out Adelaide in 1837, and went back to England to get the girls.

 Thursday, 18th November. (1847, November 20). Adelaide Observer (SA : 1843 - 1904), p. 3
 http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article158925186
Thursday 18th November,

Mary alias Pol. Pitman, and Sarah Cummings, two illus

trious .members of the ".ladies' society," of Light-square,

charged with annoying Amelia Moffatt and Sarah Lyons, at

the residence of the latter two, in Hindley-street, by the

use of abusive and indecent language, pleaded Not Guilty.

Police-constable Tarrant, who seems to be a thorough

adept in ferreting out the frail sisterhood, gave with admi

rable coolness, a verbatim report of the Billingsgate phraseology that constituted the charge; but as we cannot boast

of so much nerve as the worthy sprig of justice seems to

possess in such illustrations, we must-decline repeating the

many lingual elegancies that transpired,

Sarah Lyons, "dyer" and Amelia Moffat dressmaker,

who live in the same house in -Hindley-street, stated that

they were constantly annoyed by the "fair dames" in

question, who with a posse of Cyprians, besieged their

nunnery with the most unaccountable perseverance, and

from their threats and gestures they were apprehensive of

some injury to their persons or clothes. They could con.

ceive no reason why they should be so annoyed.

This being the charge the.Magistrate asked the prisoners

what they had to say in defence of .their conduct. .

Miss Pittman, in the absence of her standing-counsel, said

she was passing near the residence of the Mesdames Moffattt

and Lyons,when she was saluted with various unladylike

epithets which she of course resented, She looked upon

the complainant, Moffatt, as a prostitute like herself, and

considered the annoyance complained of was perfectly war.

ranted under the circumstances.

. Miss Cummings, with an air of virtuous indignation.said

that Miss Moffatt was in the habit of encroaching .upon the

exclusive rights of herself and companion in tribulation by

wiling away gents of their acquaintance to her lodgings, and

thus limiting their undeniable prerogatives in that aristo

cratic part of the town; and that whilst she (Moffatt) pro,

fessed to be kept by a Mr B**** at the time, in .question a

Mr F*'***, with.whom.she was desirous of communicating

was in the house. On her expressing a wish to that effect

to Lyons, she was threatened with being given in charge of

the Police, that thereupon she expressed her feeling some

what warmly and the result was that she and her friend

were unceremoniously hauled off to the Police station

The Magistrate told them the charge was fullyproved,

add that it could not be allowed that such conduct should

pass unnoticed. Whatever Amelia Moffatt's peculiarities

might be, she was entitled to protection. He should-there.

fore fine each prisoner 10s.

Two kindred sylphs were immediately despatched for the

necessary levy, which they soon produced,and the frail de-

linquents glided out of Court with the grace and haughty

bearing of a keen sense of injury, muttering a firm determi

nation to continue hostilities against the aforesaid nunnery

with energy and means that will probably lead to "glorious

deeds of fame," and bring the fair Joans again before the

admiring gaze of the public.
 So it's seven years after the arrival of the Moffatt sisters. Amelia is now a Hindley St. prostitute. "Miss Moffatt was about twenty one years

of age. She (witness) washed for her. Could not say

what business she followed. She might have been a kept

mistress. She might have been kept by several persons."
In 1850, Miss Amelia Moffatt is in Port Philip, (and who is the "celebrated Newberry/Newbury, now out of the colony"? Sounds like a purveyor of stolen goods. He was. He fled to avoid jail.) A Selina Moffatt, aged 26, married  James Samuel Watson, aged 40 at St James Church Blakiston (District: Adelaide Book/Page: 14/143) She died, still married to Watson, in 1866.

Further Reading

• Adelaide's West End. Sumerling, Prof Historians Assoc. 
• Hotels and Drinking - Prof Historians Assoc 
• The Shamrock Hotel 1883 - Trove