Masculinity, Class and Same-Sex Desire in Industrial England, 1895–1957

254 Pages·2015·1.138 MB·English

by  Helen Smith (auth.)

GendersandSexualitiesinHistory
SeriesEditors:JohnH.Arnold,JoannaBourkeandSeanBrady
Palgrave Macmillan’s series, Genders and Sexualities in History, aims to accommodate and foster new
approachestohistoricalresearchinthefieldsofgendersandsexualities.Theserieswillpromoteworld-class
scholarshipthatconcentratesupontheinterconnectedthemesofgenders,sexualities,religions/religiosity,
civilsociety,classformations,politicsandwar.
Historicalstudiesofgenderandsexualityhaveoftenbeentreatedasdisconnectedfields,whileinrecent
yearshistoricalanalysesinthesetwoareashavesynthesised,creatingnewdeparturesinhistoriography.
Bylinkinggendersandsexualitieswithquestionsofreligion,civilsociety,politicsandthecontextsofwar
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Titlesinclude
JohnH.ArnoldandSeanBrady(editors)
WHATISMASCULINITY?
HistoricalDynamicsfromAntiquitytotheContemporaryWorld
HeikeBauerandMatthewCook(editors)
QUEER1950s
CordeliaBeattieandKirstenA.Fenton(editors)
INTERSECTIONSOFGENDER,RELIGIONANDETHNICITYINTHEMIDDLEAGES
ValeriaBabini,ChiaraBeccalossiandLucyRiall(editors)
ITALIANSEXUALITIESUNCOVERED,1789–1914
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FEMALESEXUALINVERSION
Same-SexDesiresinItalianandBritishSexology,c.1870–1920
RobertoBizzocchi
ALADY’SMAN
TheCicisbei,PrivateMoralsandNationalIdentityinItaly
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RAPEINWARTIME
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AUTHORITY,GENDERANDEMOTIONSINLATEMEDIEVALANDEARLYMODERNENGLAND
MattCook
QUEERDOMESTICITIES
HomosexualityandHomeLifeinTwentieth-CenturyLondon
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FRIGIDITY
AnIntellectualHistory
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MEN,MASCULINITIESANDRELIGIOUSCHANGEINTWENTIETHCENTURYBRITAIN
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LIFEAMONGTHERUINS
CityscapeandSexualityinColdWarBerlin
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BODIES,SEXANDDESIREFROMTHERENAISSANCETOTHEPRESENT
ChristopherE.ForthandElinorAccampo(editors)
CONFRONTINGMODERNITYINFIN-DE-SIÈCLEFRANCE
Bodies,MindsandGender
RebeccaFraser
GENDER,RACEANDFAMILYINNINETEENTHCENTURYAMERICA
FromNorthernWomantoPlantationMistress
AlanaHarrisandTimothyJones(editors)
LOVEANDROMANCEINBRITAIN,1918–1970
DagmarHerzog(editor)
BRUTALITYANDDESIRE
WarandSexualityinEurope’sTwentiethCentury
JosephineHoegaerts
MASCULINITYANDNATIONHOOD,1830–1910
ConstructionsofIdentityandCitizenshipinBelgium
RobertHogg
MENANDMANLINESSONTHEFRONTIER
QueenslandandBritishColumbiaintheMid-NineteenthCentury
JuliaLaite
COMMONPROSTITUTESANDORDINARYCITIZENS
CommercialSexinLondon,1885–1960
MarjorieLevine-Clark
UNEMPLOYMENT,WELFARE,ANDMASCULINECITIZENSHIP
‘SoMuchHonestPoverty’inBritain,1870–1930
AndreaMansker
SEX,HONORANDCITIZENSHIPINEARLYTHIRDREPUBLICFRANCE
NancyMcLoughlin
JEANGERSONANDGENDER
RhetoricandPoliticsinFifteenth-CenturyFrance
JeffreyMeek
QUEERVOICESINPOST-WARSCOTLAND
MaleHomosexuality,ReligionandSociety
JessicaMeyer
MENOFWAR
MasculinityandtheFirstWorldWarinBritain
MeredithNash
MAKING‘POSTMODERN’MOTHERS
PregnantEmbodiment,BabyBumpsandBodyImage
TimReinke-Williams
WOMEN,WORKANDSOCIABILITYINEARLYMODERNLONDON
LinseyRobb
MENATWORK
TheWorkingManinBritishCulture,1939–1945
YorickSmaal
SEX,SOLDIERSANDTHESOUTHPACIFIC,1939–45
QueerIdentitiesinAustraliaintheSecondWorldWar
HelenSmith
MASCULINITY,CLASSANDSAME-SEXDESIREININDUSTRIALENGLAND,1895–1957
JenniferD.Thibodeaux(editor)
NEGOTIATINGCLERICALIDENTITIES
Priests,MonksandMasculinityintheMiddleAges
KristinFjeldeTjelle
MISSIONARYMASCULINITY,1870–1930
TheNorwegianMissionariesinSouth-EastAfrica
HesterVaizey
SURVIVINGHITLER’SWAR
FamilyLifeinGermany,1939–48
ClaytonJ.Whisnant
MALEHOMOSEXUALITYINWESTGERMANY
BetweenPersecutionandFreedom,1945–69
MidoriYamaguchi
DAUGHTERSOFTHEANGLICANCLERGY
Religion,GenderandIdentityinVictorianEngland
Masculinity, Class and
Same-Sex Desire in
Industrial England,
1895–1957
Helen Smith
UniversityofLincoln,UK
©HelenSmith2015
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For Mum, Dad, Darren and Wilfred
In Memory of Sheila and Melvern Attree
This page intentionally left blank
Contents
ListofFigures viii
Acknowledgements ix
1 Introduction 1
2 PolicingandProsecutions 23
3 Working-ClassCulture 61
4 WorkandFamily 93
5 Sex 125
6 Language 156
7 Conclusion 188
Notes 196
Bibliography 228
Index 242
vii
Figures
2.1 AcomparisonofmeninLondonandthenorthwho
appearedincourtforhomosexualacts,1895–1918 26
2.2 AcomparisonofprosecutionfiguresfortheNorthern
andNorth-EasternAssizecircuits 30
2.3 Guiltyandnotguiltyverdictsinprosecutionsfor
homosexualoffencesinLondon,1895–1918 32
2.4 Guiltyandnotguiltyverdictsinprosecutionsfor
homosexualoffencesinthenorth,1895–1918 32
2.5 GuiltyandnotguiltyverdictsinthetwoNorthern
Assizecircuits 33
2.6 AcomparisonofmeninLondonandthenorthwho
appearedincourtforhomosexualacts,1919–1938 39
2.7 AcomparisonofprosecutionfiguresfortheNorthern
andNorth-EasternAssizecircuits 42
2.8 Guiltyandnotguiltyverdictsinprosecutionsfor
homosexualoffencesinthenorth,1919–1938 43
2.9 AcomparisonofmeninLondonandthenorthwho
appearedbeforethecourtsforhomosexualacts,
1939–1957 49
2.10 AcomparisonofprosecutionfiguresfortheNorthern
andNorth-EasternAssizecircuits,1939–1957 50
2.11 Guiltyandnotguiltyverdictsinprosecutionsfor
homosexualoffencesinthenorth,1939–1957 51
3.1 Working-classboysbathinginEndcliffeWood,Sheffield 64
3.2 AfancydressparadeatBeighton,Sheffield 66
3.3 RagWeekparade,1926 84
viii
Acknowledgements
There are more people to thank regarding the completion of this book
than room on the page, but here goes. I can never thank Adrian
Bingham enough for his advice, support and ability to put things in
perspective. Mary Vincent and Clare Griffiths also provided invaluable
comments and suggestions. Matt Houlbrook has been kind, support-
ive and generous in his advice, and this book is all the better for his
comments.
Throughoutmycareersofar,Ihavebeenfortunatetomeetsomany
kind, generous and encouraging people, all of whom have helped to
make this book possible. Particular thanks go to the following: Alison
Oram, Sean Brady, Harry Cocks, Daniel Grey, Timothy Jones, Alana
Harris,ClareLanghamer,MattCook,EsmeCleall,EmmaVickers,Justin
Bengry, Jeff Evans, Lucy Brown, Amy Kuroki-Walker, Matt Carnell and
MattChetwood.SpecialthanksmustgotoLauraKing,ChristineGrandy
and James Greenhalgh for reading drafts, offering comments and lis-
tening to me go on over a beer. I am also grateful to my anonymous
reviewers for their helpful suggestions and to the editorial team at
Palgravewhohavebeenprofessionalandsupportivethroughout.
Thanksmustgotothelibrarians,archivistsandstaffatTheNational
Archives, Kew; LAGNA; Rotherham Archives; Barnsley Archives; and,
in particular, Sheffield Archives and Local Studies, where Cheryl Bailey
and Tim Knebel have been inspirational with their knowledge and
enthusiasm.
Finally,Ioweatremendousdebttomyfriendsandfamily.Myfriends
Laura Bruce, Emma Phillips, John Bashford, Martin Bushby, Catherine
Bown and Rachel Dwyer have stuck by me through thick and thin.
My parents, John and Sue Keating, have never wavered in their love,
support and belief in me, and my husband, Darren, has made every-
thingworthwhile.Icouldnothavedoneitwithoutthem.Finalthanks
must go to my much missed grandparents, Sheila and Melvern Attree.
Withoutthem,Idoubtthisbookwouldexist.
ix