Peg Plunkett: Memoirs of a Whore

by Julie Peakman

Of picking, washing and cleaning my pretty little toes, which he took great delight in, and in which pleasurable, innocent, and inoffensive pastime he as often spent hours; twas the greatest gratification to him on earth, nor did he (said she) indulge in any other in all the time we spent together, he never was even rude enough to give me a kiss .
So emerged the first expose of foot fetishism in the eighteenth-century. Revelations and racy anecdotes about the lives of the rich and famous of Dublin and London abound within Peg Memoirs of a Whore . From a violent domestic background, Peg blitzed her way through balls and masquerades creating scandals and gossip wherever she went, leaving dukes, barristers and lieutenants stranded in her wake. She was the first madame ever to write her memoirs, thereby setting the template for the whore's memoir. She wrote not merely to reveal herself but to expose the shoddy behaviour of others and her account of her life. In Peg Memoirs of a Whore , Julie Peakman brings her subject and the world through which she moved to glorious, bawdy life.

Genres: Nonfiction, History, Biography, British Literature, 21st Century, Historical, Biography Memoir

274 pages, Paperback

First published June 4, 2015

Reviews

[Bridget · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is an easy gossipy read. Peg herself was obviously very resourceful in a time where women had very few options. But it was always going to end badly. An interesting insight into life during the 18th century.

[Lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

I finally completed my reading of Peg Plunkett Yay. I would have read it alot sooner. I simply fell in love with Peg Plunkett. She seriously cracked me up and made me Lol. The book provided an insightful overview to life of a Courtesan and unmarried out of luck women in the 1700's. No judgement at all for the women of that time, they literally did what they had to in order to survive. I would love to see a movie made out of this. Although there are no known portraits of Peg, I admire her for her witty attitude, playful manner and compassionate side. She certainly was one tough gal. I am happy that for someone like Peg Plunkett, she was able to have some joy and happiness in her lifetime. I must say I also adored Lawless. Well researched, well referenced and well done Auntie. Kia Kaha from Auckland NZ, daughter of Penelope Peakman, I love the book Auntie ❤

[Nicholas Whyte · Rating 3 out of 5]

https://fromtheheartofeurope.eu/memoirs-of-mrs-margaret-leeson-peg-plunkett-memoirs-of-a-whore-by-julie-peakman/

I picked up Julie Peakman’s book hoping that it would fill in some of the gaps in Peg’s first person account. To what extent can her stories be independently verified by other records? Who is behind the various pseudonyms, such as “Mr. B——r, of Kilkenny [who] shortly after came to be Lord T——s, by his father’s obtaining a very ancient earldom”? How does her narrative fit into the overall analysis public discussions of sexuality and sex work in the English-speaking world in the 18th century?

I’m afraid that I was disappointed. Peakman’s book does resolve some of the pseudonyms, but otherwise doesn’t do much more than reheat and repeat Peg’s narrative for a modern audience; and frankly, Peg’s style is much more entertaining and engaging. I guess that for readers who don’t have access to the original documents, Peakman will do; but as I have found with that other great self-describer of a century later, Fanny Kemble, the original text is far more interesting than any modern re-hashing.

[Dan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting enough, but not a good book. Plunkett's abusive upbringing is hair-raising, but once she establishes herself in her profession, the stories are like something out of a bad diary: triumphs over rivals, social slights from enemies, proofs of her charm and magnetism, anecdotes illustrating her basic goodness, and, for an entire chapter, bons mots she uttered that supposedly won the cheers and applause of all but aren't especially bons. You'll be able to follow her prose, except when she embarks on page-long sentences. The cast of characters can be a little confusing, as she uses dashes -- to disguise the identities of her customers and others -- in her own distinctive way, either inconsistently (sometimes obscuring a name and spelling it out in consecutive paragraphs) or pointlessly (best: a beautiful woman who was "a favorite of the P----- of W----").

[Garret Cahill · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting book, and interesting times, though the book draws rather too heavily on Mrs Leeson's memoirs, and doesn't quite do enough to contextualise them. Also the closing section about the possible location of her grave is rather pointless.

[Taff Jones · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting and a thoroughly entertaining figure who led a truly extraordinary life. I read it just after finishing Hallie Rubenhold's book about the Covent Garden Ladies....the two make a very good pair.

[Eva O’Beirne · Rating 4 out of 5]

A thorough and detailed analysis of Peg’s life but would have appreciated further detail on wider trends of sex work (especially as time progresses in the memoirs)

[Renee · Rating 4 out of 5]

THAT was a super fun read. Some of the things I learned about that time period blew my mind and Peg is a delightful protagonist.