Husband selling facts for kids

Husband selling was a historical practice where a man was "sold" in different ways. This wasn't like buying and selling objects. Instead, it usually meant:

• A wife ending her marriage by "selling" her husband to a new wife.
• A slave owner selling a husband who was enslaved, often separating him from his family.
• Courts ordering fathers to work for a certain number of years to support their children.
• Religious leaders directing that a husband be "sold" into service.

This practice shows how different societies dealt with marriage, family, and debt in the past.

When Wives "Sold" Their Husbands

In English history, there were only a few known cases of wives "selling" their husbands. This is very different from the hundreds of cases where husbands "sold" their wives. These rare events happened in the 1800s.

When a wife "sold" her husband, it was similar to a husband "selling" his wife. The person being "sold" would leave their current marriage. They would then start a new marriage with the buyer. Sometimes, these "sales" involved a simple agreement or contract. They were not usually part of a special ceremony.

In South Vietnam in 1969, some people talked about women "selling" their husbands. This was sometimes said to be for "spending money." These stories appeared in newspapers at the time.

When Enslaved Husbands Were "Sold"

In places where slavery existed, slave owners often "sold" enslaved people. This included husbands. In the 1700s in Philadelphia, enslaved husbands were often "sold" by their owners. Sometimes, these sales happened after an owner died, as part of their estate.

Owners usually did not try to keep enslaved families together. Newspaper ads from Philadelphia show that many owners "sold" husbands away from their wives. They often did not seem to care about how this affected the enslaved families. After a husband was "sold," his wife might even be forced to take a new husband.

One enslaved woman shared her story. She married an enslaved man, but soon after, he was "sold" and sent away. She never saw him again.

In Virginia in the 1770s, a Baptist church discussed a complaint. They thought that "selling" an enslaved husband and separating him from his wife was wrong. However, the local court would not make a decision on this matter.

In Haiti, when it was called St. Domingue, a law from 1685 tried to prevent this. It said that enslaved husbands or wives could not be "sold" separately.

In Colombia, during Spanish colonial rule (1750–1826), Spanish law had different rules. It allowed enslaved people to marry and have families. It also tried to stop families from being separated by "sale." Family separations were not very common there.

If an enslaved couple was separated by a "sale," the spouse left behind could ask a court for help. Even after 10 years, they could ask to find a buyer. This would allow them to reunite with their partner. There are records of such cases from the early 1800s.

In one case in 1808, an owner "sold" an enslaved husband to another owner. The enslaved man did not want his family broken up. A court ordered that he could visit his family. Later, the court ordered the first owner to "sell" the enslaved wife to the second owner. This way, the enslaved family could live together instead of just visiting.

When Fathers Worked to Support Children

Sometimes, fathers were "sold" to work for a number of years. This happened if they failed to provide financial support for their children. In South Carolina, in the 1800s, a father might be "sold" into service for up to four years. This meant he had to work for someone else to pay for his child's care.

One court even sentenced a man to work for 10 years. These fathers were often poor white men. This practice was allowed by a law passed in 1839. However, it was stopped in 1847. After that, these cases were handled as minor offenses.

When Religion Directed "Sales"

In the medieval Christian Church, there were rules about "selling" husbands. If a man left his wife and refused to make peace with her, he could be put in prison. If he still refused, he might become a slave forever. This was seen as a punishment for his hatred of his wife. If he was ever seen free, he would be "sold" again.

Sometimes, people became enslaved because they were very poor. A married man might have to "sell" himself to get food. He would do this with his wife's permission. This way, he would get food for himself. The money he received would help his wife avoid starving.

A church meeting in Paris in the 600s said something important. If free people had "sold" themselves due to poverty, they could become free again. They just had to pay back the money they received. The church did not allow anyone to ask for more money than what was originally paid.

Another church decision in the 700s talked about enslaved couples. If an enslaved husband was "sold" and separated from his enslaved wife, they were encouraged not to remarry. This was especially true if they could not be reunited.

If an enslaved person's freedom was not bought, their already-freed spouse could remarry. This was allowed by the medieval Church. This rule applied if the couple had been married by the same owner.

Husband Selling in Stories

In popular culture, the idea of a wife "selling" her husband appears in stories. In 1960, a play by François Billetdoux showed a wife "selling" her husband to a widow. The playwright said he saw an advertisement like this in an American newspaper.

There are also old Sufi folk poems. One tells the story of Queen Lila. She "sold" her husband to her maid for one night to get a beautiful necklace. This act then required the Queen to go through a special purification.