Nelson & His World

Now I bet that heading grabbed your attention!! But there is a serious question later on.

Firstly - I believe it was perfectly legal during this era for a man to sell his wife. i.e. because a man's wife was considered as part of his chattels. I read a fascinating article recently that claimed men choosing to do so were keen to ensure that the sale could not later be deemed void. So they would often, prior to the sale, take their wife through a toll gate - pay for her as if she was an animal - and keep the receipt for the payment.

I promise that is true!!

But the paradox is that a man was in serious trouble if he ran away (and therefore failed to maintain) his wife/family. I have seen adverts in newspapers seeking runaway husbands just the same as runaway apprentices or deserters from the navy.

I saw one example where a runaway husband was apprehended and given 3 months hard labour.

I suppose this was all to ensure that the parish was not burdened with supporting a man's wife/family.

But it got me wondering under what law he would actually be prosecuted. And when was that law repealed?

Imagine if it was still operating today! With the millions of single mothers and feckless fathers the courts would have to go on a 3 shift sytem!!

Any thoughts gratefully received!!

MB

Mark:

Like duelling, the selling of wives in the eighteenth and nineteenth century was a recognised custom, but it was never legal and was not approved of.

There is a powerful, albeit fictional description of the sale of a wife in the novel, 'The Mayor of Casterbridge' by Thomas Hardy (the other one!) His work is recognised as reflecting country life and customs of the period with authenticity. (Incidentally, the man, Michael Henchard, sells his wife at auction to a sailor, who pays five guineas, promptly, in cash - so he must have been in funds!) The mood amongst the crowd is jocular at first, but grows quiet and disbelieving as the sale goes through.

A man was legally obliged to maintain his wife if they were living apart, since she was not allowed to own property and any wages she earned were his in law; but it was difficult to enforce. Even if they were living together, the law was lacking. There was a notorious case in Norfolk - though I regret I can't give a reference - of a man living with his wife who deliberately deprived her of food so that she starved to death - and the law could not intervene to support her as they were not living apart, and there was no legal mechanism to force a man co-habiting with his wife to provide her with food.

In Scotland, the law was different: a man who failed to maintain his family could have his wages arrested and maintenance deducted by the courts.

Included in that article I read was the statement that wives led though the toll gate would often be made to wear a halter - just as an animal would.

On the basis that this was just TOO fanciful I didn't repeat it above.

Meanwhile I just did a search for the words WIFE and SOLD in the C18 newspaper database and got numerous results.

The very first one I looked at - from the Liverpool Mercury of 1802 - reads as follows:



I often think that we currently live in an "age of paradox" - with opposite extremes of belief and behaviour existing alongside each other.

The Nelson era TRULY WAS such an age.

MB

There are a number of traditional songs which deal with auctioning of wives. One, in particular, which might be of interest to this forum is “The Ship Carpenter’s Wife” since it has a nautical flavor.

There is a recording of it available by John Kennedy (a fine singer and tin whistle player from County Antrim) in which the unfortunate woman is sold off for “ten bob” to fund her husband’s drinking habits. These songs generally take a comical look at what must have been a distressing practice.


The Ship Carpenter's Wife

Pay heed to my ditty, you frolicsome folk,
I'll tell you a story, a comical joke,
It's a positive fact I'm going to unfold
Concerning a woman by auction was sold.

There was a ship carpenter lived close to here
Who was not as fond of his wife as his beer,
He was hard up for brass, to be sure all his life,
And so for ten shillings he auctioned his wife

This husband and wife, they could never agree
Because he was fond of going out on the spree,
They settled the matter without more delay,
And the day of the auction they took her away.

They sent round the bellman announcing the sale
Unto the haymarket and that without fail,
The auctioneer struck with his hammer so smart,
While the carpenter's wife stood up in the cart.

Now she's put up without grumble or frown;
The first was a tailor to bid half a crown,
Who began, "I will make her a lady so spruce,
For I'll fatten her well upon cabbage and goose."

"Five and sixpence three farthings," a butcher he said.
"Six and ten," said a barber with his curly head.
Up jumps a cobbler and with a loud bawl
"Nine shillings bid for her, bustle and all."

"Just look at her beauty, her shape and her size,
She's mighty good-tempered and sober likewise."
"Go on," says a sailor, "she's one out of four,
Ten shillings bid for her, but not a screw more."

"Thank you sir, thank you," says the bold auctioneer,
"She's going at ten; is there nobody here
To bid any more? Isn't this a sad job?
She's going, she's going, she's going -- at ten bob"

The hammer came down, concluding the sale,
Poor "Tarry" paid down then the brass on the nail ,
He shook hands with Betsy and gave her a smack,
And took her away straight home on his back.

The people all relished the joke, it appears,
They gave the young sailor three hearty good cheers.
He never called "Stop" with his darling so sweet
Till he landed with Betsy right on his own street.

They sent for the piper and fiddler to play,
And they danced and they sung until it was day,
When Jack told the company 'twas time now to go
The piper and fiddler played "Rosin the Bow."

Oh, Betsy is happy at home in the croft,
Jack boxes the compass and goes up aloft,
While roving the ocean regardless of life,
He sings as he thinks of his ten shilling wife.

And long may they prosper and flourish through life,
For Jack was well pleased with his ten-shilling wife.
(Last 4 words spoken)

From Songs of the People, Henry
Collected from William John McIntyre, Portrush

You can find an image of a Scottish broadside version and more information about the song at
http://www.nls.uk/broadsides/broadside.cfm/id/20877

Many thanks for that interesting (and, if you're female, pretty depressing) tale. It gives a whole new meaning to the phrase 'because you're worth it'!

We talked about women in sea shanties on this thread a few pages back - have a look; you'd find it interesting, I'm sure, and can probably add to it.

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