A cream background with a black engraving illustration from the late 1800s, depicting a street scene with passers by and a wagon.

Engraving of Field Lane, where Mother Clap's Molly House was located. Image via the British Library

Molly houses were brothels that catered to men who had sex with men and trans people, with Mother Clap's Molly House being a famous and well-documented brothel in 18th and 19th century London. Clients included nights and friars, and the house hosted elaborate performances and mock weddings. Molly houses disappeared from the historical record after sodomy was no longer a capital offence in 1861. You can read more about molly houses via Historic England.