PITCH IT INTO THE BITCH!, EXETER, 1845.

From The Western Times, 30th August 1845:

"WILLIAM  DAVIES and ANN POWELL were summoned by Mary Ann Phillips, for an assault upon her, on Wednesday night. The complainant, an elderly woman, lived with Davies for the last eleven years, at which time he being then a lodger in her house, she was transferred to him by her husband, with the consent of all parties;  her accouunt of the matter was, "My husband agreed to give me up to Davies; he promised to take care of me, and I believe there was a trifle passed between them" but she did not say whether the trifle was paid as a bonus by the seller, or was the amount at which she was valued. However, the arrangement satisfied them all till her husband died two years ago; but lately Davies, tired of his bargain, and enamoured of  Mrs. Ann Powell, has taken, she says, to using her very cruelly, and some months since he kicked three of her ribs in.  

"On this occasion, she went to the Windmill Inn, where she found him sitting with Powell upon his knee.  The latter paid for some beer, and told him to drink it up, and pitch it into the -----. (complainant) Previous to pitching it into her, Davies asked her to drink; and when she said "No, you know I never drink,"  he struck her with much violence, driving her to his own door.

"This was her statement, but she called no witnesses, and Mr. Willesford, for  defendant, denied the whole story.  Dr. Barham dismissed the case, which he said was disgraceful to all of them.  He directed each party to pay his own costs, and advised them to separate."

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she was transferred:   This is the second selling of an Exeter wife of whichI know.   The other took place in public in 1839, six years prior to this one.   I think we can dismiss the Times' cruel  inference that Mr. Phillips might have paid to have his wife taken off his hands.  She must have been worth something. In the other case the seller received a shilling.

 https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/3897615916165646799/3111115611650358334

The Windmill Inn:  was situated where Bull Meadow Road meets Holloway Street on the road out to Topsham.

upon his knee:  This fascinated me.  It seems so right for the times and yet I have never in my life seen any man or boy take his partner on his knee in pub or park or wherever.   It must make it difficult to drink one's beer.   There was a dark damsel in the song  'There is a tavern in the town' , composed in 1883, who liked to sit on knees but otherwise?....  

pitch it into the -----:  The bitch in the title is my assumption but I would bet a guinea to a pinch of snuff that was the word used.

The indifference of the magistrates to Mary Ann Phillip's accusations of cruelty seems very shocking these days.  This case does suggest that a man could kick in a woman's three ribs and strike her with much violence with impunity.