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

Therefore claims the farm that is young Michael Henchard, in another of the most arresting passages in Thomas Hardy’s 1886 novel The Mayor of Casterbridge. Nearby the start of the written guide, Michael gets drunk on rum-laced furmity (frumenty), and has now a disagreement together with his spouse, 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 spouse and child right right back, and swears down liquor for the following 21 years because of this.

The scene is shocking, no question, just exactly what with Michael’s casual brutality, Susan’s misery, in addition to pervasive misogyny. Yet whenever it emerges that Susan normally quite keen to part methods with Michael, i will be struck by there being something oddly modern in exactly what is actually a fast no-fault divorce or separation. Michael explains to your onlookers that:

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

This brilliant scene raised lots of concerns in my situation, that we attempted to investigate. Did wife product sales such as this happen actually? If so, where as soon as had been they place that is taking and just why?

The primary problem ended up being that ahead of the 1857 Matrimonial forces Act, which put up civil breakup courts, breakup was 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, consequently, the key choices following the break down of a married relationship had been restricted to annulment, desertion, or separation (of which there have been various kinds).

This is how the spouse purchase is available in. It absolutely was that is possible certainly not legal – for a guy to market their spouse, thus renouncing all duty on her. This process of separation ended up being low priced, versatile, would not include the courts, and permitted both events to remarry, in training or even in legislation.

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

There clearly was a record from as soon as 1302 of a person giving their spouse by deed to a different guy, but spouse product product product sales appear mostly up to now through the belated seventeenth century. Wife product sales could simply take spot publicly at auction, perhaps by having a pre-arranged customer. Spouses may additionally be sold without auction, in which particular case the ex-husband and husband that is new either proclaim the agreed sale in a general general public place (to be able to create witnesses and allow the community know of this 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 display their spouse, might enumerate her characteristics, and, within the full situation of a auction, would demand bids through the put together onlookers.

Depiction of the spouse purchase (1820)

Spouses could be offered for as low as a pint of alcohol (as at Selby in 1862), but may possibly also fetch somewhat more, as with a female who had been offered in 1865 for Ј100, plus Ј25 for every single of her young ones. The normal price ended up being probably someplace in the number of the few shillings. It was barely a life-altering amount for the ex-husband; most likely more essential compared to the amount it self ended up being the feeling that exchanging cash (or its alcoholic equivalent) made a wife purchase legally binding – which needless to say, it would not.

As soon as somebody had purchased the spouse, he and their newly obtained spouse would generally walk down together. In some circumstances its recorded that all parties resigned to your pub for a convivial beverage before moving on. The ex-husband might then place down an announcement via a paper into the impact which he wouldn’t honour any debts which their previous spouse might contract.

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

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

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

Even in the event a spouse ended up being reluctant, nevertheless, she generally speaking had the effectiveness of veto over any buyers that are particularly unsuitable. Hence 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 once again for 3s and a quart of ale’. It might appear that the viewing crowds had been generally speaking maybe not willing to see a woman downered off entirely against her might. At one spouse purchase in Dublin in 1756, a team of ladies rescued the wife, then offered her husband a mock test and placed him when you look at the stocks until early next morning.

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

Needless to say, some husbands that are unscrupulous took benefit of this method. Spontaneous spouse product sales had been especially problematic in this respect because females could possibly be obsessed about a whim to complete strangers, like in The Mayor of Casterbridge or an event in March 1766, in which a carpenter from Southwark offered their wife ‘in a fit of conjugal indifference in the alehouse’.

Top of the and center classes – with all the exception that is possible of second Duke of Chandos, whom evidently purchased their 2nd spouse from an ostler – didn’t take part in or help spouse sales. There was clearly no right in English law to offer one’s spouse. In reality, the 1861 mexicancupid price version of Burn’s Justice of this Peace and Parish Officer states that ‘publicly attempting to sell or investing in a spouse is actually an offence’ that is indictable. However, it is clear that some clergy and magistrates had been willing to turn an eye that is blind spouse product product sales, if perhaps since the customized had been therefore ingrained in every day life. Numerous poorer, uneducated people sincerely thought into the validity that is legal of product product product sales. Ergo the way it is of a Stockport man taken on for bigamy in 1899, whom thought their very very very first spouse had no claim on him as he had offered her 30 years previously ‘for 1s. 6d. to a chimney sweep at brand New Mills’.

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

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

Yet spouse sales expanded less frequent in the nineteenth century, as wider general public viewpoint gradually switched against them. Most likely it was in a few component because of the 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 offered her to 1 of his workmates for Ј1.

Further reading

nineteenth century magazine clippings regarding spouse product sales are obtainable with 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)