1876 Notice Cuts Off Wife's Credit After She Leaves
A husband in 1876 takes to the local press to declare his financial independence from his runaway wife.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
NOTICE: My wife Rubina Lilly having left my bed and board without any just cause, I hereby give notice that I will not be responsible for any debt of her contracting, and I forbid any one furnishing her any money or goods on my account. THOMAS LILLY. Seattle, June 24, 1876.
“I hereby give notice that I will not be responsible for any debt of her contracting.”
This notice is a stark look at the legal and social constraints of 19th-century marriage, where a wife's autonomy was often viewed as a financial liability to her husband. It serves as a sharp reminder of how marriage and property law have shifted from patriarchal control to modern legal partnerships.
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