From Index Librorum Prohibitorum
Birching establishments
AT
THE
EARLY
part
of
this
century
very
sumptuously
fitted
up
establishments
exclusively
devoted
to
the
administration
of
the
birch,
were
not
uncommon
in
London;
and
women
of
the
town
served,
as
it
were,
an
apprenticeship
in
order
to
acquire
the
art
of
gracefully
and
effectively
administering
the
rod.
It
would
be
easy
to
form
a
very
lengthy
list
of
these
female
fiagellants,
but
I
shall
restrict
myself
to
the
mention
of
a
few
only.
Mrs Collett was a noted whipper, and George IV is known to have visited her; she had an establishment in Tavistock Court, Covent Garden, whence she removed to the neighbourhood of Portland Place, and afterwards to Bedford Street, Russell Square, where she died. She brought up her niece in the same line, who, as Mrs Mitchell, carried on a successful business in various places, among others at No. 22 (afterwards 44) Waterloo Road, and finally at St Mary's Square, Kennington, where she died. Then came Mrs James, who had been maid in the family of Lord Clanricarde; she had a house at No. 7 Carlisle Street, Soho; she retired from business with a good fortune, and dwelt at Notting Hill in luxury, her house being decorated with pictures, and her person covered with jewels.
There were, further: Mrs Emma Lee, real name Richardson, of No. 50 Margaret Street, Regent Street; Mrs Phillips, of No. 11 Upper Belgrave Place, Pimlico; Mrs Shepherd, of No. 25 Gilbert Street; Mrs Sarah Potter, alias Stewart, of various addresses, who died in 1873; and, were it not indiscreet, I might add the names of one or two other ladies who still carry on their calling. But the queen of her profession was undoubtedly Mrs Theresa Berkley, of No. 28 Charlotte Street, Portland Place; she was a perfect mistress of her art, understood how to satisfy her clients, and was, moreover, a thorough woman of business, for she amassed during her career a considerable sum of money. 'She possessed the first grand requisite of a courtizan, viz., lewdness; for without a woman is positively lecherous she cannot long keep up the affectation of it, and it will soon be perceived that she only moves her hands or her buttocks to the tune of pounds, shillings, and pence. She could assume great urbanity and good humour; she would study every lech, whim, caprice, and desire of her customer, and had the disposition to gratify them, if her avarice was rewarded in return. Her instruments of torture were more numerous than those of any other governess. Her supply of birch was extensive, and kept in water, so that it was always green and pliant: she had shafts with a dozen whip thongs on each of them; a dozen different sizes of cat-o'-nine-tails, some with needle points worked into them; various kinds of thin bending canes; leather straps like coach traces; baffledoors, made of thick sole- leather, with inch nails run through to docket, and currycomb tough hides rendered callous by many years' flagellation. Holly brushes, furze brushes; a prickly evergreen, called butcher's bush; and during the summer, glass and China vases, filled with a constant supply of green netties, with which she often restored the dead to life. Thus, at her shop, whoever went with plenty of money, could be birched, whipped, fustigated scourged, needle-pricked, half-hung, holly-brushed, furze-brushed, butcher-brushed, stinging-nettled, curry-combed, phlebotomized, and tortured till he had a belly full.
'For those whose lech it was to flog a woman, she would herself submit to a certain extent; but if they were gluttons at it, she had women in attendance who would take any number of lashes the flogger pleased, provided he forked out an advalorem duty. Among these were Miss Ring, Hannah Jones, Sally Taylor, One-eyed Peg, Bauld-cunted Poll, and a black girl, called Ebony Bet.'
From the introduction to the Index Librorum Prohibitorurn, compiled by Spencer Ashbee