Dissertation Tidbit

[orichalcum]

In 17th century England, Thomas Heath, a maltser, "bought" the wife of George Fuller for three weeks, paying 2 pence per pound of her weight (_Weaker Vessel_, Antonia Fraser, pg 414). He paid, in total, 29 shillings and 1 farthing, meaning that (my calculation) she weighed about 174 pounds.

The different social concepts that both allow and value paying for a woman more by weight...it's really interesting. Not to mention the idea of renting someone else's wife for three weeks.

Comments

[foldedfish.livejournal.com]

Still, that's better than trying to buy the women they cram into 2-liter bottles.