The British once had to "sell their wives" to end their marriages because divorce was too expensive

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Around the end of the 18th century to the middle of the 19th century, in England suddenly appeared a strange custom called “selling wife”.

During the late 18th – early 19th centuries, newspapers had to publish at least one court case every year related to the sale of wives. From 1780 to 1850, about 300 wives were sold as commodities.

The British once had to "sell their wives" to end their marriages because divorce was too expensive
Between 1780 and 1850, some 300 wives were sold as commodities in England.

But why? First of all, it is important to know that the procedure to terminate a marriage before 1850 in England was extremely difficult and expensive. At that time, to legally “go their separate ways” , they had to spend at least £3,000 – equivalent to £15,000 at present, or nearly 440 million VND.

This is too high a price for the average person in the middle class, so the only way to get a divorce and parting openly is… to take the wife to the market to sell . At the time, such trade was illegal, but because it was the only way to circumvent the law, the authorities also turned a blind eye.

The British once had to "sell their wives" to end their marriages because divorce was too expensive
At that time, this was the only way to circumvent the law, so the authorities also ignored it.

It all starts when a husband takes his wife to a market or an auction site and registers “items” for sale. The women were tied with a rope around their necks and led away like in scenes of the old slave trade.

Nearly every woman who is sold or auctioned off is voluntary, and it is up to them to decide where they go next after breaking up with their husbands. As a result, they often advertise publicly and arrange buyers in advance. The public sale of his wife is nothing more than a separation ritual.

The British once had to "sell their wives" to end their marriages because divorce was too expensive
Painting of gentleman Milord John Bull, on his way to Smithfield Market to sell his wife.

A good example of this sale is published in the newspaper in 1733, in Birmingham, Samuel Whitehouse sold his wife, Mary Whitehouse, at the market to Thomas Griffiths for just… 1 pound.

This practice was most popular between 1820 and 1830. After that, however, husbands were subjected to heavy social pressure – because having to sell their wives also meant an unhappy married life. In the end, few people wanted to do it anymore and the sale of wives gradually disappeared.