Was it legal to sell a wife in Scotland during the 19th century?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the historical legality of selling a wife in Scotland during the 19th century, exploring societal norms and legal frameworks regarding marriage and property rights. Participants reference historical documents and cultural practices related to marriage and ownership.

Discussion Character

  • Historical
  • Meta-discussion

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants suggest that women in early 19th century Scotland were viewed as property of their husbands and could be sold, citing an example of a woman sold for 2 pounds, 5 shillings.
  • One participant expresses surprise at the legality of such practices occurring relatively recently in history.
  • Another participant notes that while women could not sell their husbands, dowry practices in various cultures involve women effectively "buying" their husbands, indicating a broader context of marriage transactions.
  • Links to historical broadsides and newspaper reports are shared, suggesting further exploration of the topic through primary sources.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express varying degrees of surprise and commentary on the historical practices, but there is no consensus on the implications or moral judgments regarding these practices. Multiple perspectives on the legality and cultural context remain present.

Contextual Notes

Participants reference specific historical documents and cultural practices without resolving the complexities of legal definitions or societal norms of the time.

Who May Find This Useful

Readers interested in historical legal practices, gender studies, and cultural anthropology may find this discussion relevant.

Evo
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Seems in Scotland in the early 19th century women were considered the property of their husbands and could be sold. A farmer bought her for 2 pounds, 5 shillings.

The full transcription is located here if you don't want to strain your eyes. http://www.nls.uk/broadsides/broadside.cfm/id/15971/transcript/1


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Ahhh... The good ol' days.

o:)
 
What a rip-off
 
Here's a link to 1,800 such "broadsides", the tabloids of the day. Dating from 1650. Wow, some of these are a bit gruesome.

http://www.nls.uk/broadsides/search.html
 
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Integral said:
Ahhh... The good ol' days.
o:)
I didn't realize it was legal so recently. Of course women couldn't sell their husbands.
 
Evo said:
I didn't realize it was legal so recently. Of course women couldn't sell their husbands.
Maybe not sell but many women had to buy their husbands in many different cultures (dowry) :wink:. In fact this is still practiced today in some parts of the world.
 
Rictor Norton's page is quite good on the eighteenth century newspaper reports:
http://www.infopt.demon.co.uk/grub/grub.htm
 
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arildno said:
Rictor Norton's page is quite good on the eighteenth century newspaper reports:
http://www.infopt.demon.co.uk/grub/grub.htm
Oooh, thanks Arildno!
 
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