The Bristol Mercury and Daily Post, 31 Jan 1888.
Application for a Wife
At a meeting of the Peterborough Board of Guardians (for the workhouse), the clerk read the following extraordinary application:- "Farcett, Hunts, Jan 26th, 1888. Sir- Sometime back a man wrote to you for a wife. He lived at Dogsthorpe, I think. Well now I want one out of the union (workhouse), if you have one what will do (laughter). I am a batchelor, 44 years of age, and I heard the parson read at chuch on Sunday it was no good for a man to live alone by hisself, so if you have a woman in the house as wants a good husband send her to me (roars of laughter). I hear the man at Dogsthorpe got a good wife -ask the board what they can do for me, - Yours James Dale. - Mr Vergette, clerk to the Board of Guardians, Peterborough, Nortyhamptonshire." The master said the previous applicant, who was about 50, came to the house, and saw about 20 of the women, and one of them went out soon afterwards. It was suggested that the applicant should go to the house and see if he could find a wife, and the matter dropped.