In English history, “wife selling” was a non-legally binding form of divorce where husbands could sell their wives to another man to avoid financial obligations. It began in the 17th century due to high divorce costs and declined in the 1800s. Divorce is legal everywhere except the Philippines and Vatican City.
It would be bad enough for a man to call his wife a cow, but there was actually a time in English history when married women were treated much like cattle, and could be taken to market on a string and sold to the highest bidder. . While shocking to modern sensibilities, this bizarre practice was an accepted form of divorce, albeit not a legally binding one.
“Wife selling” began in the 17th century because many couples could not afford the high price of government-mandated divorce. While non-binding, public auction allowed a husband to virtually sell his wife to another man – often someone already interested or even romantically involved with her – and free himself from any financial obligations.
The new husband would immediately assume the responsibility of providing for his new wife, but would not have to worry about being sued by the ex-husband, which might otherwise happen when a married woman takes a lover.
While the auction sometimes afforded the husband a chance to mock his soon-to-be ex-wife among their peers, the events were generally good-natured and the main three – ex-husband, ex-wife and buyer – often drank together afterward. The practice began to decline in the mid to late 1800s as divorce became more accessible.
Leaving is difficult:
In 2011, a 99-year-old Italian man divorced his 96-year-old wife after 60 years of marriage because she found love letters she had written to another man in the 1940s.
Luxembourg’s 87 percent divorce rate is the highest in the world; India has the lowest divorce rate at 1%.
Divorce is legal everywhere except the Philippines and Vatican City.
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