From London Chronicle (1757)
This man illustrates the homosexual underworld of London in a way like that of Wild’s account of Charles Hitchin (see ‘Sexual Offenders’). The fact that he had previously written letters similar to that to Lord Tankerville, presumably successfully, shows that this combination of prostitution and blackmail could be a profitable pursuit. The meeting-place he chose, St James’s Park, was a well-known point of assignation for homosexuals – ‘this all sin-sheltering grove’, the poet Rochester called it the century before – one of many in London including Moorfields, known as ‘Sodomites’ Walk’. There were certain recognized signs that homosexual men in search of a partner would use to signal their availability to each other, including wearing a white handkerchief in the pleats of the coat-skirt or sticking their thumbs into their waistcoat.
On Wednesday last a person, who, as it since appears, got his livelihood by prostituting himself, sent a letter of assignation to the Rt Hon. the Earl of Tankerville, appointing a place where his Lordship should send his answer; who ordered his porter to go every day to the said place, with a piece of paper in the form of a letter, till he met with the man; which he did last Monday night, took him into custody, and carried him before Mr Justice Fielding,1 who committed him to prison, and the next morning he was examined at that magistrate’s, in the presence of his Lordship: and as this vilest of all prostitutes had no other excuse for the writing of this letter but his impudence, he was delivered over to the commissioners for impressing men, who sent him immediately to the Savoy. It appeared on his examination, that Kensington Gardens, and some of the more obscure places in Hyde Park, were the places of rendezvous for these monsters in human nature. He had in his pocket-book, directions to numbers of people of all degrees, and some fair copies of the same stamp with that above mentioned, beginning with ‘My Lord’ but without directions. On enquiring at the place where he lodged, it appeared that he lay in bed every day till after 12; that he constantly breakfasted in bed, wore a bed-gown and a woman’s cap and knot:2 his paint and patch-boxes were found on his toilet. In a word, he is the completest Gomorrean2 that has been met with for some time; tho’ from some papers found in his pocket, it is no less certain than shocking, that there are many clones of these animals now in town, who, it is hoped, will soon be exposed to public view. It is remarkable, that this man was so great a stranger to Lord Tankerville’s person, that he could not have told him from any man in the world; but his letters are so contrived, that they may either pass for a begging letter of a man in distress, or to offer his person for the basest purposes.