Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-09-11
WIVES AT AUCTION
A Custom in Former Days Among British
Husbands
Trndesmen Who Exchanged Better
fused tP Abide by the Bargain.
From the Boston Herald.

| Though instances are extremely rare at
the present time, there was period in the
history of England when the selling Of
wives obtained to some extent in the west
| ern counties. and there was an impression
general among the lower orders that such
la sale was perfectly legal; and that mas
much as the wife formed part and parcel
of the husbands effects. with whatever
other worldly goods she brought him. he
had an undoubted right to dispose of her In
| any manner he saw fit.
| The Herald, a day or two since, made
mention of the fact that Yorkshire man
recently sold his wife for three and-six-
| pence. with the belief that he was free to
marry again. Consequently he placed his
| head in the halter a second time, when he
| was arrested for bigamy and convicted.
| That the custom was at one time reeog-
| niZed in England, it Is sufficient to say that
| the Gentleman's Magazine, in 177S. opened
| q correspondence on the question, "Wheth-
| er man could let his wife on lease.
Let US instance some few of these sales.
| at the same time giving thanks for the
| generous construction of the laws govern
| ing divorce in this country, which renders
| such a procedure on the part Of the hus-
band entirely unnecessary. The London
| Chronicle for the 22d of February, 1II6,
| contains a notice of double sale, or per-
| haps 1t would De better termed an exchange
| of wives. A couple of tradesmen in Lin
|
| too much of the rosy" agreed. without
| consultation with their ladies, to effect such
| a transaction; and one of them, who pos
sessed a wife which both of them agreed
| was more comedy and presentable than the
| wife of the other, received 20-pound note,
a watch and a guinea. The next day he
| called on the purchaser and delivered the
| goods" The poor wife merely thought thar
she was going there to dinner: but when
| the business was explained both of the
| women refused to abide by the silly bar
| gain of the husbands
They Could Not Agree.
In 1882 Joseph Thompson, who was a
| small farmer, renting between forty and
fifty acres, lived at village some three
miles from the city Of Carlisle. in North
| cumberland. He had been married about
three years. but the couple had no chill
dren. He and his wife were in per-
petual state Of disagreement, and there
was besides a chronic feud between his
| family and hers. There being no har-
mony. but an unceasing discord, they re-
solved to part. so on April I. at an early
hour in the morning, Farmer Thompson
sent word to the bellman to give notice
that man would sell his wife at II o'clock
in the market place. The oddly of the
order the better to display her charms Of
person Mrs. Thompson placed herself upon
a high oaken chair. with a halter of straw
| about her neck, this being an indispensa-
d
a large circle of relatives and friends sur
rounded her. The husband. who acted as
auctioneer. stood beside her. and thus des-
| canted the value of the lot:'
| Gentlemen, l have to offer to your notice
my wife. Mary Ann Thompson, otherwise
| Williamson. whom l mean to sell to the
highest bidder. Gentlemen, 1t is her wish.
| as well mine, to part forever. She has
been to me only bosom serpent. 1 took
her for my comfort and the good of my
house, but she became my tormentor; do
nestle curse a night invasion and a daily
| devil. Gentlemen, l speak truth from my
| heart when l say may heaven deliver us
| from troublesome wives. Avoid them. as
you would mad dog. loaded pistol. chol-
era morbus, Mount Etna or any other pes
| tilential phenomenon in nature. Now l
have shown you the dark side of my wife
| and her faults and failings, l will introduce
| the bright and sunny side of her. and ex-
| can read novels and milk cows; she can
| laugh and weep with the same ease that
you would take glass of ale when thirsty.
! Indeed. gentlemen, she reminds me of what
| the poet says of women in general:
Heaven gave to women the peculiar grace
| To laugh, to weep and cheat the human
1 race.
"She can make butter and scold the maid:
| she can sing Moore's melodies and plat her
| frills and caps. She cannot make rum. gin
| or whisky. but she is a good judge of the
| quality from long experience in tasting
them. Therefore, 1 offer her with all her
projections and imperfections fer the sum
| Of 80 shillings."
The Snle Was Made.
Having concluded his harangue, Farmer
Thompson called for bids. They were as
| slow in coming cold molasses in rum
| ming. 1t was between hour and half
and two hours before the sale was con-
summated, but at length Mrs. Mary Ann
Thompson was knocked down to one Henry
Mears, pensioner. for fl and a Newfound-
land dog. And then the newly coupled
pair left the city together, the mob huzza-
ing and cheering after them, Farmer
Thompson in the meantime coolly taking
off the straw halter from his quondam
"WinSome marrow and putting 1t on his
new dog. He then betook himself to the
nearest inn and spent the day there, MAX
ing heavy inroads on his fl note. The lady
was described as a spruce, lively damsel.
apparently not exceeding twenty-three
years of age. and she seemed to feel a
pleasure at the exchange she was about
to make. So far as Farmer Thompson is
concerned. he repeatedly exulted in his
happy release from bondage. The particu-
lars of this unique ''verdue' are to be
found in the Whitehaven Herald and Cum
berand Advertiser for May 1. 1892.
On Valentines day. 1906, a man named
market at Hull at 1 o'clock in the day.
but the mob interfered with such good
effect that he was compelled to withdraw
her Nothing 6aurted. however, in the
her for 20 guineas to man who had lodged
in his house for some years.
| Got Rid of the Husband.
| A very laughable Instance took place IN
which the husband of the wife to be sold
came out in the wrong place. He was a
young man, hailing from Newcastle, in
Cumberland. who. finding it impossible to
live comfortably with his helpmeet, re-
solved to give somebody else the opportuni-
ty of doing so, by disposing of her at auc-
tion Not being successful in finding a
customer in their own nefghborhood, the
wife suggested that he should try New
castle. They went there. and the wife SO
| contrived matters that certain gentlemen
employed in his majesty's service-in other
| words press gang-introduced themselves
| to the husband, and he found himself one
fine day safe on board a frigate bound for
a long cruise in distant waters, and so the
tables were turned. and instead of getting
| rid of his wife, she got rid of him.
Allusion has been made above to the dis
cussion of the question of leasing a wife,
| carried on in the Gentleman's Magazine.
Anent that discussion. it may be said In
| passing that young and sprightly widow
once appeared at a Bath masquerade with
a paper pinned TO her bosom bearing these
lines:
| To be let on lease for the term of nv life