This week, Isaac and Demetria discuss the story of Margaret Clap, proprietor of a coffee house with a big secret. What was a molly house, why was the government prosecuting men for buggery, and why are trial records some of our best surviving documents about gay culture in 1720s England?
Sorry about the non-contemporary featured image on this one–I know there were some cartoons published about Mother Clap’s trial and punishment, but I’m having a hard time finding any high-quality images. This parodic cartoon was published in the 1780s, not the 1720s.
