By Isle of Wight Observer
The Isle of Wight Observer of 4th August, 1888, tells of a married couple from Ryde who were clearly not getting on very well and were brought before the bench. The Mayor preferred the wife’s version of events.
The £10 surety, which the husband would lose if there were any other incidents, would be worth more than £1,660 pounds today.
CONNUBIAL INFELICITY
Frank Halstead, tailor, of Castle-street, was brought up to show cause why he should not find sureties to keep the peace towards his wife. Annie Halstead deposed that she lived in Castle-Street. On Monday night the defendant came to her when she was upstairs and knocked her on the head with pair of boots. He then followed her downstairs and struck her on the nose, and said he would kill her if she did not get out of his way. He also told her she had better go and poison or drown herself. She only asked him for shilling. She went in fear of her life; he often knocked her about, and threatened to smash her. By Defendant: You threw the boots at me and you struck me. I am not always going to be knocked about by you. Defendant denied that he had either beaten or struck his wife. If he had he should not have carried it out; he liked her too well. He asked the Bench to send him to prison—prison life would be better than living with her. The Mayor said defendant would be bound over in his own recognizance of £50, and to find one surety for £10, to keep the peace towards his wife for three months; also to pay the costs. Defendant said he hod no money, and he would sooner go to prison. The Mayor said in that case defendant would have to go to prison for a month.
Eventually defendant agreed to be bound, remarking that he would take the next boat to Portsmouth, so as to be able to keep out of the way of his wife.