Rebecca Jarrett (1846–1928) was a former English

prostitute Prostitution is the business or practice of engaging in sexual activity in exchange for payment. The definition of "sexual activity" varies, and is often defined as an activity requiring physical contact (e.g., sexual intercourse, non-penet ...

and

procuress Procuring or pandering is the facilitation or provision of a prostitute or other sex worker in the arrangement of a sex act with a customer. A procurer, colloquially called a pimp (if male) or a madam (if female, though the term pimp has still ...

who, with reformer and newspaper editor William Thomas Stead, fought against child prostitution and white slavery during the late 19th century.

Biography

Jarrett was the youngest of seven children. Her father deserted the family and she was raised by her alcoholic mother, who prostituted her in London at the age of 12 (then the age of consent).

Child prostitution Child prostitution is prostitution involving a child, and it is a form of commercial sexual exploitation of children. The term normally refers to prostitution of a minor, or person under the legal age of consent. In most jurisdictions, child ...

was common at the time.

Virgin Virginity is the state of a person who has never engaged in sexual intercourse. The term ''virgin'' originally only referred to sexually inexperienced women, but has evolved to encompass a range of definitions, as found in traditional, modern ...

s especially commanded a higher price, at least partly due to the lower risk of catching an STI at a time when

antibiotic An antibiotic is a type of antimicrobial substance active against bacteria. It is the most important type of antibacterial agent for fighting bacterial infections, and antibiotic medications are widely used in the treatment and prevention of ...

s were not yet available. As an adult she supported herself through prostitution and later became a

brothel A brothel, bordello, ranch, or whorehouse is a place where people engage in sexual activity with prostitutes. However, for legal or cultural reasons, establishments often describe themselves as massage parlors, bars, strip clubs, body rub par ...

-keeper, procuring girls and women to work for her. She tried to leave the world of prostitution several times, but was later lured back into the lifestyle while living in London. At age 36, by now an alcoholic and gravely ill, Jarrett was taken in by

Florence Booth Florence Eleanor Booth (''née'' Soper; 12 September 1861 – 10 June 1957) was the wife of Bramwell Booth, Second Generals of The Salvation Army, General of The Salvation Army. Early life Born in Blaina, Monmouthshire (historic), Monmouths ...

of the London

Salvation Army Salvation (from Latin: ''salvatio'', from ''salva'', 'safe, saved') is the state of being saved or protected from harm or a dire situation. In religion and theology, ''salvation'' generally refers to the deliverance of the soul from sin and its c ...

. Jarrett prayed to "be a good woman and truly break away from the drink".

Winchester

Jarrett was sent to Josephine Butler's "House of Rest" in

Winchester Winchester is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city in Hampshire, England. The city lies at the heart of the wider City of Winchester, a local government Districts of England, district, at the western end of the South Downs Nation ...

in 1885 where she became involved in rescue work. With her knowledge of prostitution and brothels, she went into dangerous areas and persuaded women and girls to come with her to Winchester where she helped care for them. Boys were also rescued and cared for at Winchester. Jarrett also sought out young women in

Portsmouth Portsmouth ( ) is a port and city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire in southern England. The city of Portsmouth has been a unitary authority since 1 April 1997 and is administered by Portsmouth City Council. Portsmouth is the most dens ...

public house A pub (short for public house) is a kind of drinking establishment which is licensed to serve alcoholic drinks for consumption on the premises. The term ''public house'' first appeared in the United Kingdom in late 17th century, and was ...

Eliza Armstrong Case

In June 1885, Bramwell Booth took Jarrett to meet W.T Stead. She helped Stead in obtaining a 13-year-old

Eliza Armstrong The Eliza Armstrong case was a major scandal in the United Kingdom involving a child supposedly bought for prostitution for the purpose of exposing the evils of white slavery. While it achieved its purpose of helping to enable the passage of the ...

from her mother, making sure the mother was well aware of their supposed 'purposes', and had her taken to a local midwife before being sent to a London brothel. Posing as a rich businessman, Stead visited the brothel and had the girl drugged before she was brought to him (from where he had the girl taken to a Salvation Army home in France). Following a series of articles published by Stead in the '' Pall Mall Gazette'', entitled ''The Maiden Tribute of Modern Babylon'', which received an immediate public outcry resulting in the beginnings of the

Social purity movement The social purity movement was a late 19th-century social movement that sought to abolish prostitution and other sexual activities that were considered immoral according to Christian morality. The movement was active in English-speaking nations fr ...

as rallies were held across the country and a petition sent to the House of Commons. However, despite public support behind them, both she and Stead were arrested on charges of abduction and indecent assault (possibly arranged by George Cavendish-Bentinck, a politician implicated in the sexual trafficking of boys in the Cleveland Street Scandal.) and Jarrett was imprisoned for six months. After her release from

Millbank Prison Millbank Prison or Millbank Penitentiary was a prison in Millbank, Westminster, London, originally constructed as the National Penitentiary, and which for part of its history served as a holding facility for convicted prisoners before they were ...

, she continued with her rescue work with the

. Initially she returned to Winchester, but later returned to Florence Booth's care at 259 Mare Street, Hackney, where she remained until her death in early 1928.

References

Bibliography

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External links

Victorians Uncovered: Virgin TradeRebecca Jarrett's Narrative
Salvation Army Heritage Centre
Passing of Rebecca Jarrett
{{DEFAULTSORT:Jarrett, Rebecca 1846 births 1928 deaths English activists English women activists English criminals English female prostitutes