Molly house
A place to meet for men who have sex with men. According to Rictor Norton, the 18th century saw the development of a homosexual subculture in London. The men met there, drank and ate. Cross-dressing, giving each other nicknames (such as Fanny Murry, Lucy Cooper, Kitty Fisher), performing mock-ceremonies (such as weddings and baptisms) were part of the rituals in Molly houses. The patrons of Molly houses came from all classes, with a slight predominance of the middle class. In spite of forming its own subculture, homosexuality was still considered a capital crime. Hence, Molly houses and their customers were often raided and men convicted of sodomy were hanged at Tyborn. Those caught in the attempt had to pay a fine, go to jail and/or stand in the pillory.
Sources:
Norton, Rictor. Mother Clap’s Molly House. The Gay Subculture in England 1700-1830. London: Gay Men’s Press, 1992.