12. Jane Addison’s decision to leave her cheating husband was a landmark case in the fight for women’s rights
The name Jane Addison may not appear in many history books but she was responsible for a landmark case in English legal history. Until she decided to break-up with her husband back in 1701, wronged women could, at best, be granted a legal separation from their spouses. This meant that, though they could live apart, they would be required to remain ‘chaste and obedient’ to their husbands, even if they had been cruel, violent or unfaithful. The Addison case changed all this.
Jane Addison went to the church courts arguing that her husband had been unfaithful. This in itself would not have been enough for her to obtain a divorce. But then she also revealed that he had cheated on her with her own sister. While allegations of violence or rape within a marriage were not enough to get a divorce granted, this inclusion of ‘incest’ did the job. Parliament stepped in to grant Ms Addison a divorce. From then on, it became easier for a woman to sue for separation on the grounds of adultery. However, the process remained hard, lengthy and thus expensive, so few women could ever afford to free themselves from cruel and abusive unions.