HistoryExtra podcast Queer life in Georgian Britain
Oct 2, 2025
In this engaging conversation, Anthony Delaney, a historian specializing in queer history, delves into the vibrant lives of queer individuals in Georgian Britain. He highlights fascinating topics like molly houses, where same-sex attractions flourished despite societal restrictions. Delaney explores intricate themes such as love, lawbreaking, and the nuances of gender roles. He also sheds light on the way adult adoption was utilized to create secure queer households and revisits notable figures like Anne Lister and Mary Jones, emphasizing the persistence of queer identities throughout history.
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Friendship And Intimacy Blur
- Male friendships overlapped with same-sex intimacies through cohabitation and shared domestic life.
- Delaney shows some bachelors shared homes, names, and intimate domestic routines, blurring lines with romance.
Marital Language Without Legal Marriage
- Georgian same-sex couples used marital language and rituals to legitimise unions despite no legal recognition.
- Delaney found cases, including a Glasgow legal marriage involving a trans man, showing legal complexity.
Adult Adoption As Legal Workaround
- Adult adoption was used as a legal workaround to protect partners' inheritance and cohabitation.
- Delaney traces continuities from Georgian practices to later 20th-century adoption strategies.
