If you’ve read Jane Austen’s Mansfield Park you know how powerful the gossip column in newspapers could be in the nineteenth century. I learned why exactly from this great website which quotes the book Scandal: A Scurillous History of Gossip by Roger Wilkes. As it turns out, Victorian gossip journalist were quite the immoral type! Newspaper reporters purchased gossip from loose-lipped servants and gentlemen and ladies willing to expose their friends. They also blackmailed their potential victims, taking money to not print some embarrassing incident. Sometimes even, stories were completely made up, by a reporter who would rather stay at home than go out to look for news.
A famous gossip reporter is Theodore Hook, who started the newspaper The Sunday Bull in 1820. He kept this fact a secret, and moved in the highest circles of society and learned the best gossip and scandals there. When he was accused of being associated with the newspaper, he wrote a letter to the editor (himself!) to deny this accusation. The newspaper flourished because of all the inside information.
Apparently, Theodore Hook was also the inventor of the postcard, he sent himself the first one in 1840! (Source.)
I can see where the roots of the Papparazzi started now. Gossip always sells — especially when celebs are involved.
THANKS SO MUCH for the link to our website! We hope if you’re down our way you’ll come by for a stay and enjoy all the Victorian furnishings and history of the house.
~Paula, Innkeeper
The Little Young House Bed & Breakfast
Fayetteville, TN
Paula: If i’m ever in America, I’ll make sure to make a visit at your inn!
Thanks for such an interesting website – I’m writing a book on Dracula at the moment and have been trying to get into the victoriana mood. This is just the sort of thing I needed, keep it up :)
– Kat
Hi Kat, your book sounds very interesting! Please let me know when it’s (self)published, and I’ll give you some promo in form of a post!
When I initially commented I clicked the “Notify me when new comments are added” checkbox and
now each time a comment is added I get several
e-mails with the same comment. Is there any way you can remove people from that service?
Many thanks!