Southport Visiter,
July 26th 1855
Sale of a wife
The antiquated and disgraceful farce of selling a wife was taken place at Thirsk within the last few days.
A blooming young woman, the wife of Mr W. MARSHALL of Wombleton near Kirby Moorside, was led in a halter to the cross, and there sold for 2s-6d, to a knight of St Crispin.
Mr MARSHALL was 64yrs old when he married and Mrs MARSHALL only 19yrs.
They, however continued to live happily for 16yrs, but he finding that those infirmities natural to old age increasing, it was agreed between them that the knot which had joined them in wedlock for so long, should be severed.
They left Wombleton for Thirsk, and stopped at the Royal Oak Inn, where an agreement was drawn up. They then repaired to the cross, where she was sold to Mr John WEBSTER of Oswaldkirk.
The same day the purchaser, publicly advertised his bargain :-
“Purchase of a wife - I John WEBSTER, shoemaker, of Oswaldkirk, do hereby declare that I have purchased Mary, the wife of William MARSHALL of Wombleton, nr Kirby - Moorside, at Thirsk Cross, this day - [signed]
W. MARSHALL, the mark X of Mary MARSHALL, John WEBSTER, witnesses, Henry RUDD, William CHAPMAN, Thirsk, July 11. 1855.
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Liverpool Journal, January 14th, 1882
Marriage with a deceased wife’s sister
At a public meeting, convened by the Deceased Wife’s Sister’s Bill Association, at Leeds, a resolution was unanimously carried that, to ensure the passing of the bill in the next session of parliament, it is expedient to find all who are personally interested in the measure, and, to agitate by all legitimate means for a reform of the present law. Mr BARRAN. M.P, in supporting the resolution, expressed his belief that if the subject was taken up by the country, parliament would pass a short measure to alter the existing law within the next twelve months.
“marriage with deceased wife's sister."
A bill was introduced each session of Parliament for over 70 years, to permit a widower to marry his former wife's sister. Such marriages, which had been outlawed as incest since the Middle Ages, were bitterly opposed by the Church of England, and the bills were defeated with monotonous regularity.
(The bill was finally passed on 28th August 1907.)
It was in 1921 that the Deceased Brother's Widow's Marriage Act was passed which made marriage to a brother-in-law legal.
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