The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-09-01
WRESTLING IN ENGLAND.
CUSTOM THAT ONCE OBTAINED TO
SOME EXTENT.
A Couple of Tradesmcn Who Ex-
changed Better HaIves-The Wo-
men, However, Refused 10 Abide
by the Bnrgain-A Farmer Sells
His Wife in the Market Place.

From the Boston Herald.
Though the instances are extremely rare
at the present time. there was a period in
the history of England when the selling
of wives obtained TO some extent in the
western counties, and there was an i'm
preston general among the lower orders
that such a sale was perfectly legal; and
that inasmuch as the wife formed part
and parcel of the husbands effects. with
whatever other worldly goods she brought
him. he had an undoubted right 10 dis
pose of her in any manner he raw mt.
The Herald a day or two since made
mention of the fact that a 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. tried for bigamy, and con-
victed That the custom was at one time
recognized in England it is sufficient 10
say that the Gentlemen's Magazine, in
177S, opened a correspondence on the ques-
ton. whether a man could let his wife
on a 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 Feb. -, 1776, contains no
. tice Of a double sale, or perhaps, il would
/ be better termed an exchange of wives.
\ couple of tradesmen in Lincolns-Inn
Fields, having partaken little too much
/ of the rosy agreed, with consultation
with their ladies. TO effect such trans
/ action; and one OF them, who possessed
/ a wife which both of them agreed was
more comedy and presentable than the wife
of the other, received a go note, a watch
and a guinea. The next day he called
| on the purchaser and delivered the
goods" The poor wife merely thought
that she was going there to dinner; but
when the business was explained both
women refused to abide by the silly bar
gain of the husbands.
In 1892 Joseph Thompson, who was
small farmer, renting between forty and
fifty acres, lived at a 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 a per-
petual state Of disagreement. and there
I was besides, a chronic feud between
| his family and hers. There being no har-
mony, but an increasing discord, they re-
| solved to part, so on April Z, at an early
hour in tine morning, Farmer Thompson
sent around the bellman to give notice
/ that man would sell his wife at j
o'clock in the market place. The oddly
| of the announcement drew full audience
| In order the better to display her charms
| of person. Mrs. Thompson placed herself
| upon high oaSen chair, with a halter
I OF straw about her neck, this being an in
/ dispensible requisite in a sale of this ma
ture' ana large circle of relatives and
friends surrounded her. The husband
/ who acted as auctioneer, stood beside
her, and thus descanted on the value of
1.-THE lot"
Gentlemen have to offer to your notice
my wife, May Ann Thompson, otherwise
Williamson, whom l mean to sell to the
highest ana fairest bidder. Gentlemen. it
is her wish, as well as mine to part for
ever she has been to me only a bosom
serpent. l took her for my comfort and
the good of my house; but she became my
tormentor; domestic curse; a night in
vasion and daily devil Gentlemen. I
speak truth from my heart, when I say
may heaven deliver US from troublesome
wives. Avoid them as you would mad
dog, loaded pistol, cholera mOrbus Mt
Etna.or any other pestilential phenome-
non in nature Now l have shown you the
dark side of my wife and her faults and
failings ! viii introduce the bright aud
sunny side of her. and explain her quail
ficauons and goodness. She can read
novels and milk COWS; she can laugh and
weep with the same ease that You could
take glass of ale when thirsty. Indeed.
gentlemen, she reminds me of what the
poet says of women in general:
Heaven gave to woman the peculiar
grace
To laugh. to weep. and cheat the human
race"
She can make butter and scold the maid;
I she can sing MOores melodies and plat
her frilIs and caps. She cannot make rum.
gin or whisky, but she is a good judge Of
the quality from long experience in tast-
ing them. Therefore offer her with all her
projections and impc cfections for the sum
of fifty shinnSs.
Having concluded his harangue, Farm
er Thompson called for bids They We're
as slow in coming as cold molasses in
running 1t was between an hour and u
half and two hours before the sale was
cousummated, but at length Mrs. Mary
Ann Thompson was knocked down TO
one Henry Mears, a pensioner, for one
pound sterling and Newfoundland dog.
And then the newly coupled pair left the
city together, the mob nuzzaing and
cheering after them Farmer Thompson,
in the meantime, cody taking off the
straw halter from his quondam win
some marrow and putting it on his
new dog. He then betook himself to the
nearest Inn and spent the day there,
making heavy inroads on his one-pound
note. The lady was described as a
spruce, lively damsel, apparently not ex-
ceeding % years of age, and she seemed
to feel a pleasure at tne exchange she
was about to make. So far as Farmer
Thompson is concerned, he repeatedly
eXulted in his happy release fPom bond
age. The particulars Of this unique
'vendue' are to be found in The White
haven Herald and Cumberland Adver-
tiser for May. l. 1882.
In February, 1907, q Mr.. John Lupton
of Linton offered TO purchase the wife
of MIR. Richard Waddibone, inn-keeper
of GrassingtOn. and was content 10 go as
high for her as 100 guineas. This offer
was accepted by Waddibone, who ac-
cepted on the spot one guinea to bind THE
bargain. The next day the eager Lup-
ton put in an appearance with the re-
naming so guineas and demanded the
fulfilment of the bargain. Like the late
lamented Mr.. Banks, Waddibone was
''willin'." and would have packed the
goods and got them of, but Mrs Waddi-
bone, who, it seems, not only had some
womanly dignity, but a sense of right, en-
tered demurrer. Even if she might, she
said gha did NOT cboosp IN he r,a4s+a1 mi i,