I have eleven cases of wife selling in this reign, copied from the _Times_, and I have no doubt I have overlooked some more. The first is-- "SELLING A WIFE. "The following memorandum (says the _Stockport Advertiser_), drawn upon a 1_s._ 6_d._ stamp, will best explain the nature of a bargain between two fellows at a beer shop, in the Hillgate, in this town. Milward is a butcher, and was last week fined before our magistrates for using uneven balances in his trading transactions. The other persons are unknown to us:-- "'I, Booth Milward, bought of William Clayton, his wife, for five shillings, to be delivered on the 25th of March, 1831, to be delivered in a _alter_ at Mr. John Lomases house. "'WILLIAM CLAYTON. "'Witnesses: Joseph Gordon, G. Wood, George Whalley.'" The next is from the _Times_, February 25, 1832-- "BUYING AND SELLING WIVES. "In an evening paper we find the following story: 'A most disgusting and disgraceful scene happened in Smithfield Market on Monday last, which at the present day is of very rare occurrence. About two o'clock in the afternoon a fellow came into the market leading his wife by a halter, and gave her to a drover, desiring him to tie her to the pens and sell her to the best bidder. The woman, who did not appear to be above twenty-five years of age, and not bad looking, suffered herself to be tied up very quietly. A crowd of persons soon gathered round, and a man of rather respectable appearance entered into a negotiation with the drover for the purchase of the wife; and, after some higgling, she was finally knocked down to him for the sum of ten shillings. The money was paid, but the drover refused to release her except on payment of two shillings as his commission for the sale which he had effected. Some confusion took place about the demand, but it was eventually paid, and she was released from the pens, opposite the Half Moon public house, and delivered to her purchaser, who appeared highly pleased with his bargain. The parties adjourned to a neighbouring public house, where the late husband spent the greater part of the money in brandy and water.'" The following is from the _Times_ of April 26, 1832 (from the _Lancaster Herald_), and is somewhat out of the common run of these affairs:-- "SALE OF A WIFE BY HER HUSBAND AT CARLYLE.