Who Was Madame Restell and Who Were These Women?

By: Kylie Wallace

Madame Restell or Ann Lohman was an abortionist in New York city during the early 19th century. She was given the name “wickedest woman in New York” at the time but was very shamelessly wealthy from her practice.[1] During this time period in New York giving abortions was merely a misdemeanor but by 1870 performing an abortion was worth 20 years in jail.[1] Madame Restell wasn’t ashamed of what she did, and even paid off bondsmen as she was always under investigation and in and out of The Tombs.[1] 

Three of the big reasons Madame Restell was under such a close watch by the time of her death were Mary Rogers, Mary Applegate and Ann Maria Purdy. Mrs. Purdy was a married woman who seemed Madame Restell’s medicine rather than abortion, but when that failed came to her again this time for the surgery simply because she wasn’t ready to have another child.[1] Mrs. Purdy died 15 months later due to a condition caused by the abortion, but only after she identified Madame as the woman who preformed the abortion.[1] After a long process she got free by a technicality; she wasn’t given the opportunity to cross-examine her accuser and was given a retrial however, her accuser was now dead therefore there wasn’t ever a retrial.[1]

Similarly, Mary Rogers was a beautiful cigarette girl who seeked Madame Restell’s services and died because of it.[1] Mary Rogers was Edgar Allen Poe’s inspiration for the story The Mystery of Marie Rogêt.[1] 

One of the more impactful women that Madame Restell “helped” was Mary Applegate. She was a single woman impregnated by a stockbroker whose only motive to do anything was his reputation.[1] May Applegate had her baby at Madame Restell’s estate and theres different stories about what she did with it but she most likely put it up for adoption.[1] However, the people in the city thought she took it and killed it so they mobed around her house and wanted to “burn it down and drag her out.” The police protected her.[1] 

Everything I’ve read about her and talked about points me towards thinking she’s just a woman who had a practice that no one agreed with! I think they made a big deal about certain women because they had an importance in the society, I’m sure there were other girls who suffered or died due to her services who just weren’t as forward. In todays society we do plenty of things that are dangerous however, we do know more now so it’s easier to be safe. I disagree with the was society was viewing what was happening and more importantly the way they were dealing with it.

[1], "Victorian Gothic: Much of Madness and More of Sin," Who Was Madame Restell? (blog), June 18, 2011, http://www.victoriangothic.org/who-was-madame-restell/.