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What Price a Wife


Guest binsted71

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Guest binsted71

Wife Selling In Yorkshire

An Authentic Case In Which Documents Were Signed

From The Sheffield Telegraph January 14th 1894

There were present the husband "an ironworker, resident at Masborough", the wife, who, it is alleged, had transferred her affections to a Kilnhurst miner; the miner himself, the wife’s parents and two friends.

The wife was prepossessing in appearance, and was of about the same age as her husband and her suitor twenty-six or twenty-eight years. The separation had been mutual. The husband thought he was entitled to pecuniary recompense, and the following is some indication of what transpired on this point:

The Wife "I think he wants too much; he wants £3."

The Miner "When I set off this morning I only intended to give 20s. for thee."

There was more bargaining, and at last the husband said: “I fixed my price at £3, but I will come down to £2.”

The reduced value was not acceptable, and there seemed a possibility of the negotiations falling through, the husband at one stage intimating: “We will stop as we are, then.”

More conversation as to the price followed, and eventually the amount agreed upon was 30s.

Afterwards there were friendly drinks round, paid for by the husband. The arrangement was duly ratified in writing, the precise wording only being settled upon after some trouble. I saw the first effort at the drawing up of the document, which read as follows:

"Mr. -----, to let my wife, Elizabeth -----, free from me forever to do as she has a mind, this day, 11th December"

One other detail had to be arranged, and that was with regard to the custody of a child of the marriage. The husband, it should be stated, took all responsibility in this matter.

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Nice find; quite expensive though, I'm sure a Link Fairy will find one cheaper (or Jeremy in the Paradise Square thread); cheaper and let to the sale in a halter too - not sure this is in any way "PC" these days - but from a history point of view, it happened.

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Nice find; quite expensive though, I'm sure a Link Fairy will find one cheaper (or Jeremy in the Paradise Square thread); cheaper and let to the sale in a halter too - not sure this is in any way "PC" these days - but from a history point of view, it happened.

Here's one link but I'm not up to the fairy bit!

http://www.sheffieldhistory.co.uk/forums/i...;hl=wife+seller

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Here's one link but I'm not up to the fairy bit!

http://www.sheffieldhistory.co.uk/forums/i...;hl=wife+seller

All I want for Christmas

Is to be a Link-Fairy, a Link-Fairy, oh a Link-Fairy ...

Sing-Alonga-Max-a-SheffieldHistory (new issue to catch the gullible Christmas Market, 3-CD set, £44.99 - includes Inflatable Vera Lynne Santa ... probably ...)

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