Cite Download 8. This thesis is centred on prostitution in Nantes and Bristol, two port cities in France and England, between and The objectives of this research are fourfold: first, to understand the socio-economic characteristics of prostitution in these two port cities. The third objective is to analyse the network of prostitution, in other words the relations prostitutes had with their family, the tenants of public houses, the lodging-keepers and the agents of the law to demonstrate if the women were living in a state of dependency.
Finally, the geography of prostitution and its evolution between and is studied and put into perspective with the socio-economic context of the different districts to explain the spatial distribution of prostitutes in these two port cities. The methodology used relies on a comparative approach based on a vast corpus of archives, which notably includes judicial archives and newspapers.
Qualitative and quantitative research allows the construction of relational databases, which highlight similar patterns of prostitution in both cities. When data is missing and a strict comparison between Nantes and Bristol is made impossible, extrapolations and comparisons with studies on different cities are used to draw subsequent conclusions. As a result, this thesis offers a unique picture of provincial prostitution in eighteenth-century port cities in France and England.
It shows that women were using prostitution as a strategy of survival and on a casual basis and, if forced by economic necessities to do so, they kept a certain independence towards the people they met on a daily-basis. This thesis also shows, thanks to the comparative approach, that local events had a great influence on the shift of attitudes towards prostitution.
Finally, this study also brings to light the similarities in attitudes towards prostitution which transcended the English and French national framework. Supervisor s Sweet, Rosemary; Aston, Nigel. Awarding institution University of Leicester. Qualification level Doctoral. Qualification name PhD.
