The English custom of selling a wife was a way to end a failed marriage by mutual consent. The custom dates back to the end of the 17th century, when divorce was almost impossible for everyone except the most prosperous people. Bringing his wife for a leash around his neck, arm or waist, the husband organized a public auction and gave his wife to the one who would offer the highest price for her …
An illustrative case of the sale of his wife is described in the work of Thomas Hardy "The Mayor of Castenbridge", where the main character sells his wife, and then the pangs of conscience lead him to death.
French engraving of 1820 about the English sale of a wife.
Each procedure for the sale looked standard: the husband brought his wife to the square holding a leash attached to her neck. After that, she went up to the stage, and the auction began. The wife went to the one who offered the big price.
In the newspapers of that time, such events were vividly covered. One of the earliest recorded sales dates from 1733. According to the record, a certain Samuel Whitehouse sold his wife Mary Whitehouse to Thomas Griffiths for one pound sterling. Mr. Griffiths had to "accept a woman with all her faults."
Whoever hits, he loves.
Another spouse was put up for sale with a starting price of one penny. Unsurprisingly, the lonely farmers nearly got into a fight to get their hands on this woman. In the end, they agreed on five shillings and six pence.
As strange as it may sound, most often the sale of wives was carried out by mutual agreement. In most cases, the husband was bought by her lover for a symbolic payment. It also happened that after the auction, all three went to the nearest tavern to mark the deal.
Promotional video:
An English nobleman heading to Smithfield Market to sell his wife.
The greatest popularity of sales of wives fell on the period from 1780 to 1850. Until now, at least 300 official confirmations of this procedure have reached.
It all started with the adoption of the Marriage Law in England in 1753. Until this moment, marriages were not registered. Women were almost completely subordinate to their husbands. Divorce was incredibly expensive.
It was the sale of wives in the square that became the surest way to get rid of each other. The authorities did not approve of this practice, but they simply turned a blind eye to it.
Selling a wife by auction.
In 1830 another curious act of sale took place. The spouse began bidding, but then suspended them, wanting to leave everything as it was. To this, his wife whipped him on the cheeks with an apron and exclaimed: "I must be sold, I want a change!"
The last certificate of the sale of his wife dates back to 1913. A woman who testified in a Leeds court claimed that her husband had sold her to a colleague at work for one pound sterling.