The Wife Auction: A Forgotten Custom | British Pub Lore

Divorce was for the rich. For the poor, there was the market square, a rope halter, and the highest bidder. Discover the bizarre true history of the "Wife Auction."

In 18th and 19th century Britain, if a marriage failed, you had a problem. A full legal divorce required an Act of Parliament and cost thousands of pounds—money that ordinary working folk simply didn't have.
So, the people created their own solution. A custom that seems barbaric today but was accepted as binding by rural communities for centuries: The Wife Sale.

In this episode, we uncover the strange ritual where husbands would lead their wives to the local market or tavern with a rope halter around their neck. There, amidst the cattle and the corn, she would be auctioned off to the highest bidder—sometimes for as little as a pint of beer or a bowl of punch.

Was it slavery? Or was it actually a consensual "folk divorce" designed to let everyone move on? We examine the role of the pub landlord as the unofficial judge, the symbolism of the halter, and the famous case where a wife was sold for a single pint of ale... and lived happily ever after.

In this episode:
???? The Ritual: Why the auction had to happen in a public place (often a pub).
???? The Halter: The crucial symbolism of the rope around the neck.
???? The Price: From 5 guineas to a quart of gin—what was a wife worth?
???? The Law: Why the authorities turned a blind eye to the practice.
❤️ The Twist: How many of these sales were actually planned by the wives themselves?

Key Locations:
• The George and Dragon (Tonbridge)
• Selby Market Cross (Yorkshire)
• Smithfield Market (London)

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British Pub Lore is your virtual tavern for atmospheric storytelling.
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