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Notes -
If we're swapping anecdotes about domestic violence and old-fashioned marriage, my mother used to tell me about a cousin of hers (who had a brother who was a priest, so VERY RESPECTABLE FAMILY) and how he helped solve a problem of that kind.
Another relative was married to a guy (again, outwardly respectable) who used to beat her. The family strongly hinted that this was not acceptable. Guy didn't stop. So Cousin warned him off by beating him up so badly he had to spend a week in bed (and his wife made excuses to work for him) and told him if he ever laid a hand on his wife again, Cousin would kill him.
That stopped it.
I never understood why she stayed with the guy, but think about it: this would have been in the 50s or 60s. No divorce in Ireland. Marital separation considered very scandalous and disgraceful. Women were supposed to put up with it. Economically dependent on husband. So really the option of leaving him was not there.
This is also why "let's go back to making women economically dependent on men so they have to get married and have kids" is never going to fly again.
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