In markets, taverns, and public squares across England, a strange ritual unfolded from the late 17th century into the early 20th. Husbands led their wives with halters of rope or ribbon, paraded them before crowds, and sold them to the highest bidder.
Though never legally valid, the practice of wife selling became an alternative form of separation for those who could not afford divorce, creating scenes that were witnessed by thousands and recorded in court documents, newspapers, and personal accounts.
Origins of a “Ritual Divorce”
The first known cases date to the 1690s. In 1692, John Whitehouse of Tipton sold his wife to a man named Bracegirdle, and in 1696 Thomas Heath was fined for living unlawfully with another man’s wife after “buying” her. By the 18th century, newspapers regularly reported such sales.
The ritual usually involved a halter to signify transfer, echoing livestock markets. Although never part of English law, many participants believed the sale freed the husband of responsibility and legitimized the wife’s new union.
Markets, Taverns, and Halters
Sales often occurred at markets, inns, or public landmarks. In Maidstone in 1815, John Osborne sold his wife and child for £1 in a tavern when the market was closed. That same year, another wife was sold at Smithfield Market for 50 guineas and a horse. Prices varied widely, from a glass of ale to over £100.
In one unusual case, the Duke of Chandos is said to have purchased an ostler’s wife, educated her, and eventually married her after the husband’s death. Alcohol often formed part of the payment, such as in Sussex in 1898, when a woman was sold for 7s. 6d. and a quart of beer.
Women’s Role in the Transactions
Although instigated by husbands, wives sometimes insisted on being sold. A woman in Wenlock Market in 1830 demanded her husband proceed despite his hesitation, declaring, “I wull be sold. I wants a change.” In Manchester in 1824, a wife rejected her first purchaser after being auctioned for 5s., forcing a resale for less money and a quart of ale.
Some wives arranged their own sales, even providing funds for a lover to buy them out of marriage. Occasionally, sales ended with reconciliation, as in 1826, when Mary Turton returned to her husband decades after being sold.
Decline and Final Cases
Authorities alternated between tolerating and prosecuting the practice. Poor Law officials sometimes encouraged sales to avoid supporting deserted wives. Yet by the mid-19th century, newspaper coverage and court rulings turned against the custom. Still, isolated cases persisted.
In 1889, a Salvation Army member sold his wife for a shilling in Nottinghamshire. The last reported instance came in 1913, when a woman in Leeds police court testified that her husband had sold her to a workmate for £1. After more than two centuries, wife selling in England finally disappeared, leaving behind records that continue to astonish historians.
England once staged auctions of marriages.
From the 1690s to the early 1900s, men led wives in halters to markets and inns and sold them to new partners.
It was never lawful, yet crowds gathered and papers reported it, used by people who could not afford a divorce…🧵👇 pic.twitter.com/UQtZLVt8Wu
— Fascinating True Stories (@FascinatingTrue) September 14, 2025