Wife sold at Devonport Market - 1827
CONJUGAL INFIDELITY.
The landlord of a tap not a hundred miles from Devonport, about a fortnight since,
surprised his wife in bed with the Boots of a neighbouring establishment. Boniface
was of course rather displeased, but being of a forgiving disposition, and much
loving her, he forgave her that slight indiscretion, and took her again to his bosom,
as if nothing the worse for the wear. But alas! “Frailty, they name is woman!” The
faithless fair one, regardless of the calls of duty or of gratitude, a few days
ago, eloped with the aforesaid Boots, taking with her, amongst other goods and chattels
suspected to be her husband’s two children, and upwards of 20 sovereigns, together
with all the wearing apparel “unto her properly belonging.” The deserted husband,
vexed at the loss of his wife and children, but more vexed at the loss of his sovereigns,
set out in pursuit of the fugitive pair and found them – again in bed, in a public
house in Millbay. Pacific still, he allowed “the destroyer of the peace of families,”
the gallant gay Lothario, Mr Boots, to escape without any other punishment than
that of purchasing the wife and her children. Accordingly, the parties adjourned
to the market, in Devonport, when, “according to form,” a bargain was concluded,
by which the seducer became the purchaser of the lady and her children, and the
husband returned to his tap., lightened of his family, and burdened, in lieu of
them, with a pair of horns, and five sovereigns and a half, the price of the let.
Plymouth Journal.
An article headed
Conjugal Infidelity, published in
The Times
15 January, 1827. page 3, col 1.
Available online from: http://infotrac.galegroup.com : Accessed 14 april 2012
(page added Dec 2013)