Medieval marriage enforcement

[Cornfed]

I thought this entry form the History of England podcast was funny and surprising. In merry old England, when either a married man or married woman was accused of not performing in the bedroom, a bunch of chicks would be summoned to check them out:

According to the teaching of the church, the point about marriage was to have children, and therefore both men and women had a legal responsibility to have sex in marriage unless both decided it was a bad idea. So the easiest way out of an unwanted marriage was to claim that your partner was unable to deliver the goods.

Here, from Henrietta Leyser's book 'Medieval Women' is a quote from a case in York in 1433 when John was accused of just such a thing:

'The …witness exposed her naked breasts and with her hands, warmed at the said fire, she held and rubbed the penis and testicles of the said John. And she embraced and frequently kissed the said John, and stirred him up in so far as she could to show his virility and potency, admonishing him for shame that he should then prove and render himself a man. And …the said penis was scarcely 3 inches long…remaining without any increase or decrease’

[Jester]

I thought this entry form the History of England podcast was funny and surprising. In merry old England, when either a married man or married woman was accused of not performing in the bedroom, a bunch of chicks would be summoned to check them out:

According to the teaching of the church, the point about marriage was to have children, and therefore both men and women had a legal responsibility to have sex in marriage unless both decided it was a bad idea. So the easiest way out of an unwanted marriage was to claim that your partner was unable to deliver the goods.

Here, from Henrietta Leyser's book 'Medieval Women' is a quote from a case in York in 1433 when John was accused of just such a thing:

'The …witness exposed her naked breasts and with her hands, warmed at the said fire, she held and rubbed the penis and testicles of the said John. And she embraced and frequently kissed the said John, and stirred him up in so far as she could to show his virility and potency, admonishing him for shame that he should then prove and render himself a man. And …the said penis was scarcely 3 inches long…remaining without any increase or decrease’

So the trick would be to get yourself accused?