Constantia Jones (born ~ 1708, executed December 22, 1738), a prostitute in London, United Kingdom during the term of Prime Minister Robert Walpole, was sentenced to hang for stealing 36 shillings and a half-guinea (the equivalent of about £300 today) from one of her clients. Year 1708 ( MDCCVIII) was a Leap year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Events 1790 - The Turkish fortress of Izmail is stormed and captured by Suvorov and his Russian armies Year 1738 ( MDCCXXXVIII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or Prostitution is the act of performing Sexual activity in exchange for Money. London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located This article is about the government position For other uses see Prime Minister (disambiguation. Robert Walpole 1st Earl of Orford, KG, KB, PC (26 August 1676 &ndash 18 March 1745 known before 1742 as Sir Robert Walpole, was a Hanging is the lethal suspension of a person by a ligature The Oxford English Dictionary states that hanging in this sense is "specifically to put to death The shilling is a unit of Currency used in current and former Commonwealth countries and was continued to be used in countries that left the commonwealth Guinea, officially Republic of Guinea (pronounced /ˈgɪni/ République de Guinée is a country in West Africa, formerly known as French Guinea The purchasing power parity ( PPP) theory uses the long-term equilibrium Exchange rate of two currencies to equalize their Purchasing power. Her accuser, describing her as "a three-penny upright," testified as follows: "As I stood against the Wall, [she] came behind me, and with one hand she took hold of . . . --and the other she thrust into my Breeches Pocket and took my Money. " Based on this testimony, Jones was sentenced to hang at Tyburn. "Testify" redirects here For other uses see Testify (disambiguation and Testimony (disambiguation. History The village was one of two manors of the Parish of St Marylebone, which was itself named after the stream St Marylebone being
Jones, who had been sent to the notorious prison at Newgate some twenty times before, was 30 years old upon her execution. For the prison in East Granby, Connecticut, see Old Newgate Prison. Historian Peter Linebaugh asserts that regardless of her guilt or innocence, her conviction on such flimsy evidence indicates the bias of 18th century English courts against the trade of prostitution and those who worked in the industry. See also History An historian is an individual who studies and writes about History, and is regarded as an Authority on it Peter Linebaugh is an American Historian who specializes in British history, Irish history, Labor history, and the history of the colonial Bias is a term used to describe a Tendency or Preference towards a particular perspective, Ideology or result especially when the tendency interferes The 18th century lasted from 1701 to 1800 in the Gregorian calendar, in accordance with the Anno Domini / Common Era numbering system A court is a forum used by a power base to adjudicate disputes and dispense civil, labour administrative and criminal Justice under its Prostitutes are always vulnerable, and in the middle of the 18th century in England, their testimony in court was not regarded as equal to that of their clients. England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland Jones would have been a particularly weak defendant, as she had been in Newgate on multiple occasions. Although officially London courts took all persons as equally worthy, class distinctions were still operative, and therefore testimony from a "gentleman," in particular, would weigh heavily. Social class refers to the hierarchical distinctions (or stratification) between individuals or groups in Societies or Cultures. At the same time, prostitutes were extremely common and were generally tolerated. Prostitution gangs also operated, and some gangs included "toughs" and "bullies," who would attack the prostitutes' clients for robbery.
Whether Jones robbed her client or not, she would have faced a high barrier in court. What may be more remarkable about her case than her conviction is the testimony presented against her. Solicitation was a dubious act, and the clients of prostitutes were unlikely to go to the police to give evidence. Police are agents or agencies usually of the executive, empowered to enforce the law and to effect public and social order through the legitimatized use of force Those patrons of prostitutes with money to steal were usually jealous of their social standing and would not go to the justices.