When a man wished to marry he spoke first to the woman and then
to her family. Permission of the sachem was also necessary.[440]
The bride’s parents were paid a sum of wampum or other goods to
compensate for the loss of their daughter, and the union was
solemnized by the sachem.[441] A man might get help from his
relatives to pay the bride-price.[442]
If a woman felt that she was being ill-treated or became displeased
with her husband for some other reason she would leave him.[443]
One way was to run away and join whatever tribe her husband’s group
happened to be warring with at the time.[444] When a man wished to
be rid of his wife, he sent her away from him. Adultery was one
reason for divorcing a wife.[445] A woman with the reputation of an
adulteress might not be able to find another man who would marry her;
such women sometimes became prostitutes.[446]
Wampanoags were polygynous. When a man took additional wives, one,
usually the first, remained as the chief or principal wife with some
degree of authority over the other wives.[447] In actual practice,
not many men had more than one wife at a time. Sachems, powerful
powows, and men of rank and wealth might have additional wives;
apparently not all of these chose to do so.[448]
There were two reasons given for having multiple wives. First, an
additional worker made a more productive household.[449] Second, a
man might take an additional wife after the birth of a child; sexual
relations between husband and wife were prohibited until the infant
was weaned, which might be a period of more than a year.[450]
It was not common for anyone to live alone. Single persons lived with
their families, and widows, widowers, or divorced persons usually
also lived with relatives until another marriage was made.[451]