TALK ‘Vice, Profaneness and Immorality’ in Georgian Norwich

Decline in religious observance and ignorance of Christian morals were widely perceived to be the cause of a surge in vice and immorality in Georgian England. Campaigns for the ‘Reformation of Manners’ failed to turn the tide and concern reached a climax with the Royal Proclamation for the Encouragement of Piety and Virtue and for the Preventing and Punishing of Vice, Profaneness and Immorality issued on 1 June 1787.

In Norwich no one could ignore the evidence of empty pews in parish churches, failure to observe the Sabbath, drunkenness and blasphemous language in alehouses and the prostitutes on the streets. On the instructions of the magistrates, local constables did their best to stem the tide. More shocking examples of vices such as domestic violence and sexual harassment occurred behind closed doors or otherwise out of sight but some were brought to light by victims’ depositions to the mayor’s court.

Since doing a post-retirement BA and MA in History at the UEA Ian Smith has made a speciality of researching and giving talks to various audiences on the history of Georgian Norwich. This talk is a revised version of a talk first given in March 2020.