13. Harriett Wilson
Like many of the women who entered the profession before her, Harriett Wilson started her career young. Very young. She tried conventional education and found it extremely dull, leading her into the family business. When she turned 15 she followed her sisters and became a concubine in Regency-era London. William Craven, 1st Earl of Craven took Harriett as his mistress in 1801. From then on her list of clients grew and she became a highly desired status symbol. In a very short time, she became one of the most sought-after courtesans during this time. Harriett lived the high life for almost 30 years.
At one point she was so popular that she turned down the company of Britain’s Prince George because he did not meet her standards. As she aged, her workload steadily declined. Men she had been companions to in the past promised her pensions for her services. But when the time came, many of her previous suitors refused to pay up. Harriett then came up with a plan to make them keep their word. She wrote her memoirs and included all of their salacious secrets. If they wanted to be left out of it, they could negotiate a price. Many of her past lovers stormed the publisher’s office willing to pay to keep her quiet, so she made a pretty penny. Not all of them paid though and The Memoirs of Harriett Wilson, Written By Herself was published and became one of the best-selling novels of the Victorian era.