Birth Control in Victorian England,
or Foucault was Right
Emma Graner
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Text:
THE GENUINE FRENCH
LETTER.
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declines selling the FRENCH
LETTER over the counter. It
will be sent to any address on
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STRICTLY PRIVATE.
Printed and Published by
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5, Sims’ Alley, Broadmead,
Bristol.
Pre-19th Century
• Evidence of long historical
use of withdrawal as a
method of birth control
• Pepys’ Diary mentions
use of the “sheath” or
condom (but primarily as
a safeguard against STDs,
not against pregnancy)
• Church’s consistent
condemnations of birth
control evidences its
practice
Early 19th Century
• Industrialization and wars
bring depression,
unemployment, poverty,
and social crisis
• Large increase in
population after 1760
• Rev. Thomas Malthus
publishes Essay on the
Principle of Population
(1798)
– Suggests “moral restraint”
to relieve overpopulation
Early 19th Century (cont.)
• Francis Place advocates
contraception as a
means to reduce
poverty in Illustrations
and Proofs of
Population (1822)
• 1823: Handbills with
instructions for
contraceptive
techniques widely
distributed
Early 19th Century (cont.)
• Richard Carlile, journalist
of The Republican,
encourages use of birth
control to increase sexual
freedom
• Carlile publishes
pamphlet Every Woman’s
Book, or What is Love?
(1826)
– Sex and contraception
manual
– Immensely popular: sells
5,000 copies in first 6
months, and sales increase
after that
Early 19th Century (cont.)
• Charles Knowlton,
American MD, publishes
The Fruits of Philosophy,
or the Private
Companion of Young
Married People (1832),
the first scientific
treatise on
contraception since
ancient times
• Reprinted and pirated in
England 1833-34; sells
well
Beginning of Victorian Era
• By the beginning of the Victorian era, had
been wide publication of Place’s instructional
handbills and Carlile and Knowlton’s
pamphlets
• Ideas widely circulated and discussed in
workingmen’s press and radical publications
Victorian Era
• 1854: George R. Dysdale,
Malthusian physician,
publishes The Elements of
Social Science, or Physical,
Sexual and Natural
Religion
– 600 pages
– Review of Malthusian
doctrine, physiology of sex,
STDs, methods of
contraception
– Sold 77,000 copies by 1892
• Numerous other guides
published, directed
towards women and
married couples
Victorian Era (cont.)
• Paradoxically, “Malthusianism” becomes a
synonym for birth control
• Evidence of wide practice of birth control among
middle and upper classes
– By 1878, British birthrate begins to decline
– Little evidence of use among working class
• Marie Stopes, writing in 1920s, indicates major
newspapers like the Daily Telegraph included
near-daily articles on birth control in 1867-68
Victorian Era (cont.)
• Methods of birth control widely practiced:
– Withdrawal
– Vaginal syringe (douche)
• With or without chemical additive (quinine)
– Vaginal sponge
– Condom (“French letter,” “envelope,” “baudruche”)
• Originally made of animal skin or intestine; later of
vulcanized rubber
• By the early 20th century, available in latex; short (“the tip”)
or long size; “plain” or “teat” end; a variety of colors (“drab,”
“ivory,” “flesh (pink)”, and “transparent”); some reusable
• Advised for use with surgical lubricant, which was also
available for sale
Victorian Era (cont.)
• Condoms marketed towards men for prevention of STDs in
encounters with prostitutes, as well as “family men” concerned
about household economy
• Text of one ad for condom carrying cases:
– "...As many of our encounters with the opposite sex are unexpected, it
becomes any man, in consideration for his own health and happiness,
never to be without these matchless Protections, for how often has
years of misery, nay the bitterness of a whole life, ensued from the
promiscuous intercourse with a Courtesan.
– “It then becomes a matter of the greatest importance to be always
prepared, to have them in our possession; but hither to this has been
found attended with considerable inconvenience, being liable to be
pulled from the pocket with gloves, paper, etc; in fact, a thousand
circumstances may occur to bring the articles in question
unexpectedly to light.
– “In order to prevent these painful and unpleasant occurrences, W.
Edwards has been induced to publish a small appropriate case, called
‘The Man of Pleasure's Pocket Book,’ containing a secret receptacle for
‘French Letters’ with instruction for their use, etc, and every valuable
information that the votary of Venus may require.”
Victorian Era (cont.)
• Bradlaugh-Besant trial
(1877)
– Charles Bradlaugh (MP)
and Annie Besant, both
outspoken advocates of
birth control, publish
Knowlton’s Fruits of
Philosophy
– Tried for intent “to incite
and encourage [the public]
to indecent, obscene,
unnatural, and immoral
practices”
– Convicted, but later
released
Victorian Era (cont.)
• It seems that the only reason Bradlaugh and Besant
were prosecuted was because of pornographic
illustrations added by rogue bookseller
• Consequences of Bradlaugh-Besant trial
– No decrease in publication or sale of information on birth
control
– Incites demand for more information
– Gives Knowlton’s book publicity
• 1876-1881: 200,000 copies sold in England
– Annie Besant publishes The Law of Population: Its
Consequences and its Bearing upon Human Conduct and
Morals (1877)
• Describes birth control methods
• 175,000 copies sold by 1891
– Malthusian League founded in 1877; starts publishing The
Malthusian in 1879
Victorian Era (cont.)
Back to French Envelopes
• The Victorian era saw a revolution in birth
control information, practices, discourse, and
availability
• Public discourse about birth control would
continue to increase rapidly into the 20th
century
Bibliography
• Holmes, James Robins. “A Short List of the more important articles which
are used in the practice of Neo-Malthusianism commonly called Birth
Control.” 1936. Web. 15 Sept. 2013. Available at: 19th Century
Collections Online; Women: Transnational Networks.
• Langer, William L. “The Origins of the Birth Control Movement in England
in the Early Nineteenth Century.” The Journal of Interdisciplinary History
5.4 (1975): 669-86. JSTOR. Web. 15 Sept. 2013.
• Off the Pedestal: Images of Women in Victorian Broadsides, Ephemera &
“Fast” Literature. Lilly Library Digital Collection (Indiana University). Web.
15 Sept. 2013. Available at:
http://www.indiana.edu/~liblilly/offthepedestal/otpintro.html
– Includes items from London Low Life: An Uncatalogued Collection, Indiana
University Lilly Library
• “The Genuine French Letter” Advertisement (Box 3, No. 67)
• “When Bradlaugh Triumphs” (OS 1 No. 6)
• Stopes, Marie. Early Days of Birth Control. 2nd ed. London: G.P.
Putnam’s Sons, 1922. Web. 15 Sept. 2013. Available at: 19th Century
Collections Online; Women: Transnational Networks.