An American businesswoman, who also became known as Sheila Devin, an escort agency owner, was born on January 14th, 1952. Later, she became known as the Mayflower Madam. Her escort business was disbanded in October 1984, where she had pleaded guilty for promoting prostitution.
From this she wrote an autobiography, in 1986, called ‘Mayflower Madam: TheSecret Life of Sydney Biddle barrows.
The year following a movie was born from the book, starring Candice Bergen under the same title – Mayflower Madam.
The name Mayflower was originally because barrows came from the Biddle family of Philadelphia, andwas descended directly from passengers who were from the Mayflower.
After attending a girls’ boarding school, Stoneleigh-Burnham in Greenfield, Massachusetts she started working as an assistant to an Alan Snyder in 1975, the bath buyer for Abraham & Strauss. She was then introduced to prostitution – high class – so started her own agency service called Cachet, which was around from 1979 to 1984. She catered to foreign diplomats, high executive businessmen, Arabian Sheiks, and even lawyers to name a few. But alas, in 1984 it was shut down, and she was arrested for promoting prostitution as stated above. After that was when she published the best selling autobiography.
She followed up with two other books on sexual etiquette also. She actually co-authored with Dan Kennedy and in late 2008, finished ‘Uncensored Sales Strategies: A radical new approach to selling your customers what they really want – No matter what business you’re in. She had since mid 1990’s been running a consulting business with main focus on customer service and their experience.
Aside from her business life – Barrows had been married, but was divorced from the late Darnay Hoffman who had been a very high profile lawyer. Her quotes Quotes The more you act like a lady, the more he’ll act like a gentleman. Never say anything on the phone that you wouldn’t want your mother to hear at your trial.
I ran the wrong kind of business, but I did it with integrity,
- Mayflower Madam: The Secret Life of Sydney Biddle Barrows(1986). With William Novak. New York City: Arbor House. ISBN 0-87795-722-3, ISBN 0-8041-0150-7.
- Mayflower Manners: Etiquette for Consenting Adults(1990). With Ellis Weiner. New York City: Doubleday. ISBN 0-385-26245-0.
- Just Between Us Girls: Secrets About Men from the Mayflower Madam(1996). With Judith Newman. New York City: Martin’s Press. ISBN 0-312-13993-4, ISBN 0-312-96047-6.
- Uncensored Sales Strategies: A Radical New Approach to Selling Your Customers What They Really Want – No Matter What Business You’re In(2009). With Dan Kennedy. Entrepreneur Press. ISBN 1-59918-193-2, ISBN 978-1-59918-193-6
1^ Jump up to:ab Hays, Charlotte (27 February 2013). “The Mayflower Marketer: Sydney Biddle Barrows is Up to New Tricks”. Observer. Retrieved 6 June 2018.
2^ Jump up to:ab c Fried, Joseph P. (28 October 2001). “Following Up”. The New York Times. Retrieved 6 June 2018.
3^Mills, Nancy (12 November 1987). “Bergen: Call Her ‘Madam‘“. Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 6 June 2018.
4^Berry, Melissa (2016). “Pious Pilgrims and Mayflower Misbehavior”. Genealogy Magazine. Retrieved 4 August 2018.
5^Haden-Guest, Anthony (10 December 1984). “The Story of the Mayflower Madam”. New York. pp. 36–43.
6^ Jump up to:ab Hornblower, Margot; Tsiantar, Dody (2 November 1984). “The Case of the ‘Mayflower Madam‘“. Washington Post. Retrieved 6 June 2018.
7^“East Meets West as Buyers Shop Bath, Bed Show”. Home Furnishings Daily. 21 May 1975. p. 25.
8^“The “Mayflower Madam,” Socialite Sydney Biddle Barrows, on Trial”. UVA Law School Archives. Retrieved 26 February 2019.
9^“Sydney Biddle Barrows – From Mayflower Madam to Magnificent Mentor”. BlogTalkRadio. Retrieved 6 June 2018.
10^Harris, Elizabeth E. (12 May 2011). “Darnay Hoffman Dies at 63; Lawyer With Notorious Clients”. The New York Times. Retrieved 11 January 2016.
