The Value of Sexual Autonomy

I love the moments in historical research when you can really attach a clear numerical valuation to someone's feelings about a relationship:
In 1866 the Hon. Wilfred Brougham obtained an order from the divorce court for restitution of his conjugal rights. His wife, Frances Isabella Brougham, paid him 600 pounds a year not to enforce it, or about $100K a year in modern terms.

More details on the sordid marriage of the Broughams - when they married she (an Italian heiress, apparently), settled 1500 pounds a year upon him; he contributed nothing. They were separated for about 20 years before they tried actually divorcing, at which point the Queen's Proctor stepped in, investigated, and denied the divorce on the grounds of collusion and 20 years of mutually tolerated adultery. When Frances, still technically married, died in Paris in 1901, she left her entire estate, some 4580 pounds, to a "single woman, Diana Bexley, aged 25." I think but cannot confirm that Miss Bexley was one of Frances' three known illegitimate children, one of whom was definitely born in 1875 or 1876. For more read here: https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspa.../NZH18950803.2.85

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