I try to keep this site as family-friendly as possible (granted, the family is usually named “Addams,”) but when I hear the words, “Puritan brothel-keeper,” I can only leap to my feet and yell, “Blog post!!”
We know very little about Alice Thomas’ early life. She was a perfectly ordinary Massachusetts Bay Colony woman until her husband died, leaving her penniless. She opened a shop, but after that venture failed, she felt she had no options but to turn to prostitution. In this unlikely profession, Alice seems to have found her groove, with hitherto unsuspected talents for organization and enterprise. She soon banded together the other local prostitutes, (largely maidservants looking to supplement their incomes,) providing them with a fixed place to bring their customers and generally coordinating their activities. In short, Alice set herself up as the American colonies’ first madam. The fact that she soon had a thriving business on her hands hints at a side to early American life that you probably won’t find in school history textbooks. In case you are wondering why the local authorities seemed to have a blind eye to Alice’s little empire, I can only say that a few greased palms in the right places was as effective in those days as it is now.
Alice’s troubles began in late 1671, when Katherine Naylor sued her husband Edward for divorce. Divorce was rare in colonial times, but it was permitted when the offended spouse was judged to have just cause for such an extreme action. And, boy howdy, did Katherine have cause. Katherine told the Massachusetts general court that Edward was repeatedly physically abusive to her and their children. He was a flagrant and serial adulterer who had recently impregnated their maidservant. (Katherine accused this servant of trying to poison her.) Furthermore, John Anibal, a Puritan elder whom Katherine had recruited as a spy, was able to testify that Edward was a frequent visitor to Alice Thomas’ establishment, where Anibal managed to catch him in flagrante delicto with one Mary More. (Anibal emphasized to the court that he was never a customer of Alice’s--merely a peeping Tom in the cause of righteousness.)
Katherine obtained her divorce, and Edward was banished from Boston. However, Katherine and her rich and influential family, the Wheelwrights, did not think that was enough. They wanted revenge for their public humiliation. And unfortunately for Alice Thomas, she was an ideal target for their wrath. In January 1672, the now-notorious madam found herself arrested and facing trial as a “common Baud.” She was charged with “aiding and abetting theft by buying and concealing stolen goods; frequent secret and unreasonable entertainment in her house to lewd, lascivious and notorious persons of both sexes, giving them opportunity to commit carnal wickedness; selling wine and strong waters without a license; entertaining servants and children; and selling drink on the Sabbath.”
It was, as we would say, an open-and-shut case. There was no question that Alice had been having way too much fun. At the close of the trial, the judge ordered her to pay “threefold restitution” for the items she had fenced, as well as fifty pounds sterling for her other offenses. Her physical punishment was even worse than her large monetary fine. She was forced to stand blindfolded on the town gallows for an hour with a noose around her neck, left in suspense about whether or not she was about to be hanged. Afterwards, she was stripped to the waist in the icy New England weather, tied to the back of an ox-drawn cart, and, in front of a jeering crowd, lashed thirty-nine times with a whip. Then, she was thrown back into her fetid prison cell until October 1672, when the court ordered that she be permanently banished from Boston.
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| A 19th century engraving depicting Puritan punishment in the 1670s |
Alice subsequently disappeared from the historical record until July 1676, when the general court of Boston approved her petition to have her exile repealed. Alice, you see, had retained enough of her ill-gotten gains to pay for a new harbor sea wall in Boston, as well as several other public buildings. This act of municipal bribery was sufficient to convince city leaders to forgive and forget. The formerly infamous “Baud” quietly lived out the rest of her days as an esteemed civic benefactor.
Alice Thomas, pioneering American entrepreneur.
Whatever one may think of Ms Thomas's business activities, the punishment for them seems rather severe, especially when they seem to have been tolerated for so long - until an influential family decided to punish her for quite ulterior reasons.
ReplyDeleteDuring the years of the cattle drives, Abilene, Kansas had a strict policy. Any cowboy who crossed into the nice part of town would receive a beating, have his money confiscated, and wind up in jail. South of the line, hell remained in full session.
ReplyDeleteIn the 1670s Boston was a busy seaport, and visiting sailors would naturally expect 'hospitality establishments'. It is not hard to imagine Boston having an arrangement similar to Abilene, but with townsfolk forbidden the sailors' quarter.
The city fathers may have cared little about the nature of Alice Thomas' business, but they certainly expected her to keep things quiet and (quite possibly) not serve locals. Short version: she knew the rules and she broke them.
In the 1970s the Boston Redevelopment Authority officially recognized Boston's 'Combat Zone' as an adult entertainment district where vice laws were loosely enforced- to put it mildly. Things haven't changed much over the last several centuries.