‘I’d sell my spouse if anyone would buy her’: spouse product sales in England

‘For my component we don’t realise why guys who ‘ve got wives and don’t hope ‘em, should not dispose of ‘em since these gipsy fellows do their old horses…Why shouldn’t they place ‘em up and offer ‘em by auction to males that are looking for such articles? Hey? Why, begad, I’d sell mine this full moment if anybody would purchase her!’

Therefore claims the farm that is young Michael Henchard, in another of probably the most arresting passages in Thomas Hardy’s 1886 novel The Mayor of Casterbridge. Close to the start of written guide, Michael gets drunk on rum-laced furmity (frumenty), and contains a disagreement together with his wife, Susan. He chooses to sell Susan and their child child, that are purchased by way of a sailor for five guineas. Whenever Michael sobers up, the enormity of exactly exactly what he’s done hits house; he realises he cannot get his daughter and wife right back, and swears down liquor for the following 21 years because of this.

The scene is shocking, no question, exactly just what with Michael’s casual brutality, Susan’s misery, as well as the misogyny that is pervasive. Yet when it emerges that Susan normally quite keen to part methods with Michael, i will be struck by there being something oddly modern with what is actually a no-fault divorce that is quick. Michael describes towards the onlookers that:

‘It’s an agreement to part. She shall make the baby|Thebaby shall be taken by her if she desires to, and get her methods. I’ll just take my tools, and get my methods. ‘Tis straightforward as Scripture history.’

This brilliant scene raised a wide range of concerns in my situation, that I attempted to investigate. Did spouse product product sales such as this really take place? In that case, where as soon as had been they happening, and exactly why?

The main problem ended up being that prior to the 1857 Matrimonial forces Act, which put up civil divorce or separation courts, divorce proceedings ended up being just for the rich few. a personal bill had become passed away through Parliament before a few could divorce, that has been expensive and needed the right governmental connections. For ordinary individuals, therefore, the primary choices following the break down of a married relationship were restricted to annulment, desertion, or separation (of which there were various kinds).

This is how the spouse purchase is available in. It had been that is possible not appropriate – for a person to offer their spouse, therefore renouncing all duty on her behalf. This process of separation ended up being low priced, versatile, failed to include the courts, and permitted both ongoing parties to remarry, in training if you don’t in legislation.

‘Selling a Wife towards the Highest Bidder’ (1816)

There is certainly accurate documentation from as soon as 1302 of a person granting their spouse by deed to some other guy, but spouse product sales appear mostly up to now through the late 17th century. Wife product product product sales could just take destination publicly at auction, possibly by having a pre-arranged customer. Spouses may also be offered without auction, in which particular case the ex-husband and brand new spouse would either proclaim the agreed sale in a general public destination (to be able to create witnesses and allow the community understand associated with modification) or concur in personal, maybe culminating in a written contract.

A wife would typically be led to a public place such as a market or an inn, with a halter around her arm or neck, just like a piece of livestock in the case of public sales and auctions. The spouse would show their spouse, might enumerate her characteristics, and, when you look at the instance of an auction, would necessitate bids through the put together onlookers.

Depiction of the spouse sale (1820)

Spouses may be offered for less than a pint of alcohol (as at Selby in 1862), but may possibly also fetch somewhat more, as with a female who was simply offered in 1865 for Ј100, plus Ј25 for every of her young ones. The price that is average probably someplace in the product range of a few shillings. It was scarcely a life-altering amount for the ex-husband; most likely more essential than the amount it self had been the feeling that exchanging cash (or its alcoholic equivalent) made latin mail order bride a wife sale lawfully binding – which needless to say, it didn’t.

Once some body had purchased the spouse, he and his newly obtained spouse would generally together walk off. In a few circumstances it really is recorded that every parties resigned into the pub for the convivial beverage before moving forward. The ex-husband might then place an announcement out via a newsprint to your effect which he wouldn’t honour any debts which their former spouse might contract.

‘Sale of a Wife in Smithfield Market’ (1797)

Wives probably objected less to on the market than we’d assume, because the purchase ended up being frequently agreed by shared permission. In reality, often things were organised so your customer had been the wife’s current enthusiast. In December 1849, the days reported simply such an event in Yorkshire, explaining just how a guy had arranged together with spouse that she should always be offered to her fan – presumably much to her satisfaction. At a general public auction in the city market:

‘After only a little competition that is spirited had been offered to her fan for 5 shillings and 9 pence. Before making along with her brand new spouse, the spouse snapped her hands at her ex-husband and said ‘There, good-for-nought, that’s more than you’d fetch’.

Even though a spouse had been reluctant, nonetheless, she generally speaking had the effectiveness of veto over any specially unsuitable purchasers. Therefore in Manchester in 1824, ‘after a few biddings she the spouse ended up being knocked straight down for 5s; although not liking the buyer, she had been set up once again for 3s and a quart of ale’. It might appear that the crowds that are watching generally speaking perhaps not willing to see a woman offered off entirely against her might. At one wife purchase in Dublin in 1756, a team of ladies rescued the wife, then offered her husband a mock test and put him within the shares until very early next early morning.

‘Selling a spouse’ – Thomas Rowlandson (1812-14)

Needless to say, some husbands that are unscrupulous took benefit of this procedure. Spontaneous spouse product product product sales had been especially problematic in this respect because women could possibly be obsessed about a whim to strangers that are complete such as The Mayor of Casterbridge or an event in March 1766, the place where a carpenter from Southwark offered his spouse ‘in a fit of conjugal indifference during the alehouse’.

The top of and center classes – with all the feasible exclusion associated with second Duke of Chandos, whom evidently purchased their 2nd spouse from an ostler – didn’t take part in or support wife product product sales. There is no right in English law to offer wife that is one’s. In reality, the 1861 version of Burn’s Justice regarding the Peace and Parish Officer states that ‘publicly offering or investing in a spouse is obviously an offence’ that is indictable. However, it is clear that some clergy and magistrates had been willing to turn a blind attention to spouse product sales, only if since the customized ended up being therefore ingrained in every day life. Numerous poorer, uneducated people sincerely believed within the appropriate credibility of spouse product sales. Thus the situation of a Stockport man taken on for bigamy in 1899, whom thought their very very first spouse had no claim he had sold her 30 years previously ‘for 1s on him as. 6d. to a chimney sweep at brand brand New Mills’.

Ann, Duchess of Chandos, who had been supposedly purchased from an ostler

Plus in reality, the customized ended up beingn’t always as harmful to women once we might at very first assume. It enabled a female to flee a poor wedding without being forced to show adultery or cruelty when you look at the courts; and in case a woman’s brand brand new spouse ended up being a great guy, her life had been safer than if the ex-husband had just cast her away without anything, as he ended up being legitimately eligible to do.

Yet spouse product product product sales expanded less frequent within the nineteenth century, as wider general general public opinion slowly switched against them. Most likely it was in a few right component as a result of greater option of divorce proceedings. The final record of the spouse purchase was at 1913, whenever a female in Leeds alleged that her spouse had sold her to 1 of their workmates for Ј1.

Further reading

nineteenth century paper clippings wife that is regarding are present about this website

The Gentleman’s Magazine, April 1832 (see p. 347 when it comes to Duke of Chandos’ wedding)

The Mayor of Casterbridge, by Thomas Hardy (at undertaking Gutenberg)