11–13 January 1757
This Day at Noon a Man was set in the Pillory at the End of Chancery-Lane, Fleet-street, for committing the heinous Crime of Sodomy; when he was severely pelted by the Populace with Snow-Balls, &c. (Whitehall Evening Post)
28–30 June 1757
Yesterday a Sailor belonging to the Royal William Man of War, was flogg'd, from Ship to Ship, at Spinhead and in the Harbour, for having been guilty of the heinous Sin of Sodomy. (London Evening Post)
4 July 1757
GOSPORT, June 29. On Monday at a Court Martial, Henry Biggs, belonging to the Magnanime, was found guilty of Sodomy, for which he was sentencedto be whipp'd from Ship to Ship, till he had received 500 Lashes. (Aris's Birmingham Gazette)
Tuesday, 26 July 1757
Canterbuiry, July 25. Monday was committed to Maidstone Gaol, William Painter, charged on the Oath of Henry Marsh, with attempting to commit the Sin of Sodomy on the Body of the said Henry Marsh. (Public Advertiser)
Wednesday, 17 August 1757
Monday Night two Persons were committed to the Gatehouse, being detected in Sodomoitical Practices in St. James's Park. (Public Advertiser)
2–9 September 1757
John Avery, the Post-Boy, convicted of Sodomy, is to stand in the Pillory on Saturday next near St. George's Church. (Derby Mercury)
Monday 11 July 1757
From obvious Hints ye Sages guess my Name,
Whose Deeds declare a Fiend! a Monster vile!
Whether from Hell's Abyss I did proceed,
Or from corrupted Earth I'll not determine;
Infamy stares in my detested Face.
Whilst (Devil like) I tempt Men to Destruction,
In outward Shape I am no Ways deform'd,
My Venom's harbour'd in my inne Part;
By winning Arts and by ambiguous Speeches,
I tempt th' unwary Youth to my Designs.
Modesty I declaim, the Brute Creation
Was never guilty of such monstrous Wiles.
My Name is all that's wanting find that out
The Ladies will no Doubt reward your Pains.
(Sussex Advertiser, No. 576)
Monday 12 September 1757
To strike at Vice I did intend,
When my AEnigmatic Tale I penn'd;
And tho' a PROSTITUTE will it answer,
I wrote to ridicule a Man Sir,
A Man said I, a Fiend! a Monster!
A SODOMITE! that's both in one, Sir.
'Tis such a base, unnat'ral Evil,
'T must be near related to the Devil.
(Sussex Advertiser, No. 585)
Saturday, 22 October 1757
Gosport, Oct. 13. Last Thursday aftgernoon a murder was committed up the Harbour, viz. J—s S—r, a waterman, attended the New Saxon privateer, sitting out up the harbour, with his Wherry, which being alongside, and S—r at that time absent, four persons belonging to the privateer took her, and went ashore to the Haroway, a small distance fromt he ship, drank a mug of beer a-piece, and were returning again, when they saw S—r coming in a small boat towards them and lay to for him tocome on board the Wherry, which he had no sooner done than he struck the first man he came to, afterwards took up one of the oars, made a full stroke at William Brown, who instantly fell down, and spoke but once before he died, which was the next afternoon. On Sunday the Coroner's Jury sat on the body, and brought in their verdict, wilflmurder. Upon opening the deceased's skull there appeared a great quantity of congealed blood, and a fracture of about two inches long. The said S—r, who is gone off,belonged to the navy many years but last to his Majesty's ship Nottingham, and was convicted at Nova Scotia of the detestable sin of Sodomy, for which he was whipp'd two days successively from ship to ship. (Read's Weekly Journal)
Wednesday, 16 November 1757
Last Sunday Night a Nest of those detestable Wretches called Sodomites, was disturbed by some Peace Officers sent by Mr. Justice Fielding to a House in Snow's Rents, near Tothill-street, Westminster, and the Master of this infernal Brothel was sent to Prison; and another Person who was apprehended was admitted an Evidence, and has given an Account of all the Persons who frequent that Place, whom he has seen commit these vile Practices, and Warrants are issued out against them; what is very extraordinary, tho' all the Goods in this House were not worth five Shillings, it appears that Persons in very good Circumstances have frequented it. (Public Advertiser)
29–31 December 1757
CITATION: If you cite this Web page, please use the following citation:
Rictor Norton (Ed.), "Newspaper Reports, 1757",
Homosexuality in Eighteenth-Century England: A Sourcebook, 22 Dec. 2015, 5 Feb. 2021, 29 July 2022
<http://rictornorton.co.uk/eighteen/1757news.htm>.