Thanks to you and the WMST listowner.
Alan B.
-----Original Message-----
From: Amelia Carr <[log in to unmask]>
To: [log in to unmask] <[log in to unmask]>
Date: Tuesday, February 15, 2000 6:19 PM
Subject: Re: Wife-beating in the Wakefield Noah
>This question is raised so frequently on the Women's Studies List (WMST-L),
>that the list owner has posted the discussion on the web as an FAQ:
>
>http://research.umbc.edu/~korenman/wmst/ruleofthumb.html
>
>The notion is certainly around in the 18th century (Blackstone's
>Commentaries 1775) and perhaps earlier. You will find on that page
>references to legal cases and relevant articles.
>
>Amelia Carr
>Allegheny College
>[log in to unmask]
>
>
>At 04:57 PM 2/15/00 -0500, you wrote:
>>You've all heard of the rule of thumb, i.e., mustn't beat your wife with a
>>stick larger in circumference than your thumb. Was this a legal rule or
an
>>urban myth? Some years ago this question was debated at some length (I
>>believe on a history discussion list), and, as far as I could tell, no
>>consensus was reached by the debaters. I was and am skeptical, but others
>>seem sure that such a rule was operative in early modern England.
>>
>>Yours, Bill Godshalk
>>
>>
>>**********************************************
>>* W. L. Godshalk
*
>>* Professor, Department of English *
>>* University of Cincinnati
*
>>* Cincinnati OH 45221-0069 * Stellar Disorder
>>* [log in to unmask] *
>>*
>> *
>>**********************************************
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