The industrial revolution was certainly a time filled with ingenuity and inventiveness. Much of that ingenuity was applied towards manufacturing, while some, it would appear, was applied towards marriage. England was certainly the scene of many an unhappy marriage at the time, but to lower class citizens divorce was simply not an affordable option. Rather than stay stuck in an unfruitful union, the inventive individuals looking for an out came up with a new custom: Wife Selling.
Although the practice didn’t result in an official divorce and the marriage was still legally binding, the sale could not go through before both the husband and wife agreed to it, and so local magistrates were usually willing to look the other way. The trend proved quite popular during the 19th century but the concept can be traced back to the mid-1700s.
Among the most well-known occurrences of the bizarre practice was the sale of Joseph Thompson’s wife on April 7, 1832. Thompson, a farmer, had reportedly walked into Carlisle and announced his intention to sell his wife to the “highest and fairest bidder.” He proceeded to list his wife’s faults and virtues as she was seated beside him with a halter around her neck, and over the course of the hour-long auction finally succeeded in selling his wife to Henry Mears for 20 shillings and a dog.
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