1931 – I Walk Alone

Research rabbit hole ~ 1931, the oldest profession

Being a writer means stepping out of your comfort zone and trying to understand other people’s lives and motivations. Nancy, one of the main characters in Seventh Daughter, was a prostitute, and my research into her backstory uncovered many interesting facts and tales. For instance, East Street was the home of Southampton’s brothels in medieval times. They were known as ‘the stews’ because they had hot air or vapour baths, and the authorities tolerated them because the fines levied against the women and their customers were an excellent source of income. On December 19th, 1544, they were closed after a series of incidents and disturbances. This didn’t stop prostitution in the town. Instead, it moved it to other locations.

Research rabbit hole ~ 1931 midwives and handywomen

People often ask me how I come up with the ideas for my books. Usually, I say research into my family tree inspired them, but that’s only part of the story. Inspiration comes from many strange places. Sometimes I stumble upon intriguing things by accident, like the story of Eugenia Falleni, and they spark parts of a story or a character. Other times, the idea is there, but the research brings the characters to life. In Seventh Daughter, one character, Mabel, was an unqualified midwife, known back then as a handywoman, and another, Winnie, was a midwife. Researching the role of midwives and handywomen in the 1930s really helped me develop the characters of Mabel and Winnie.

Research rabbit hole – drugs 1931

From Welcome Collection – empty opium tincture bottle England 1880 – 1940

One of the first research rabbit holes I fell down when researching for Seventh Daughter involved drugs. Not the recreational kind, you understand, the lower working classes generally used alcohol for that in the 1930s. Prior to the Great War, there were no restrictions on opium, cocaine, or cannabis, but people used them medicinally rather than recreationally. The public were free to dose themselves as they saw fit, and with no NHS, they turned to pharmacists for advice. The Poisons and Pharmacy act of 1908 allowed pharmacists to sell what they wished to who they wished as long as they recorded names and addresses in a poisons register where necessary. When war broke out, shops sold medical kits as presents for soldiers going to the front. These included opium and cocaine for use as pain relief, drugs most men would have been familiar with.

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