Wife Of Polygamist 'Rabbi' Tells All

She loved the self-proclaimed rabbi Philip Sharp, worked hard on the family farm and tried to get along with his 5 other 'wives'. But finally the isolation, jealously and loneliness became too much and she found the courage to leave her 'husband', who had become known throughout Britain as the 'rampant rabbi'.

'Rabbi' Philip Sharp, his 6 wives and some of his children

The Daily Mail reports:

For years Tracey Sharp believed she could be happy sharing her 'husband' with six other women.

She loved the self-proclaimed rabbi Philip Sharp, and worked hard on the family farm and tried to get on with his other 'wives'.

But finally the isolation, jealously and loneliness became too much and she found the courage to leave her 'husband', who had become known nationwide as the 'rampant rabbi'.

Now, more than two years later, and living with her children in a two-bedroom flat in Sussex, Tracey has revealed the darker story behind the unusual family set-up and why she decided to leave.

The 46-year-old said far from the happy family Sharp liked to portray, the wives constantly argued, worked six days a week and were given allowances of just £30 a month to live on, while he was treated like a 'king'.

Tracey first met Sharp in 1998 in Hove, Sussex, after she split from the father of her 14-year-old son.

It was around this time that he claimed he had received a message from God informing him he was a king and telling him to take multiple wives.

After separating from his legal wife, Sharp 'married' secretary Judith before taking Tracey as his 'wife' in 2001.

Over the next few years he also 'married' Hannah, Vreni, Margo, Chava and Karyn and had twelve children by his seven wives.

None of these were legal marriages and Sharp said marriage takes place during sex.

However, all the women, who lived in separate parts of the farm, changed their surnames by deed poll to Sharp and wear wedding bands.

The unusual family eventually set up home on a £675,000 farm in Whatlington, East Sussex, using the women's child benefit and tax credits.

Tracey, who had two children by Sharp, Naomi, now nine, and Mischa, three, said initially she had total faith in her 'husband' and his beliefs.…

Keep reading.

Comments

[R. Wisler]

Efraim is too cowardly to put his photo up here, so he mocks the host of this blog and one of the most courageous people in the Jewish world today.

[YTHM]

In what way is this guy a rabbi??

[Garnel Ironheart]

> It was around this time that he claimed he had received a message from God informing him he was a king and telling him to take multiple wives

And she fell for it?

[A. Nuran]

Efraim,
"I don't want to listen to you. You're wrong because you're fat" is how a four year old thinks, not a rational adult

[Sarek]

Sorry. If these women all believed that God chose this guy to marry several women because he was a king, then I submit that their collective IQ is less than that of a turnip. I shudder when I realize that they also vote.

And why is he proclaiming himself a rabbi? Don't we have enough kooky "rabbis" already? I doubt he upholds even 1 of the 613 commandments.

[split]

Her own stupidity aside she should sue the crap out of him for all those years she worked there ,...

[AztecQueen2000]

Sarek--With seven wives avoiding each other, I'll bet he stays off them during niddah!

[Yochanan Lavie]

Sarek: he does uphold "peiru u'revu" (be fruitful and multiply).

[Sarek]

("King Tut", Steve Martin)

King Sharp
King Sharp
Now when he was a young man
He never thought he’d hear
God just spoke to him
And he was so sincere (King Sharp)

How’d you get those women? (King Sharp)
Are you a great swordsman?
Born in eastern Sussex
I can get the chicks
King Sharp

Now if I’d known
They’d line up just to marry
I’d said this all along
And I would not have tarried (King Sharp)

I say I’m a rabbi (Funky Sharp)
I get my share of thigh
Born in eastern Sussex
I can get the chicks
King Sharp

Inserting my penile (Disco Sharp)
The ladies love my style (Boss Sharp)
Poly’s my lifestyle (Poly Sharp)
I’m really a gentile.
I own a farm for polygamy. (King Sharp)
(Sharp, Sharp, Sharp, Sharp)
Golden haystacks
(Sharp, Sharp, Sharp, Sharp)
He’s no rabbi
(Sharp, Sharp, Sharp, Sharp)

Now with seven wives
You all think I’m a nut
But I work hard all day
I don’t sit on my butt (King Sharp)

I’m husband of the year
Though budget’s quite austere
Born in eastern Sussex
I can get the chicks
Born in eastern Sussex
I wore out my dick
King Sharp

[Yosef ben Matitya]

this guy is no rabbi of any sort.
what was he a rabbi to a chicken coop? he is a weirdo like those that would abound in rural areas -not necessarily jews-.
the ladies? fools, doubt if he had any preference even to jewish maidaleh!
in any case, poor foolish girls. sorry for the kids born to this idiot too.

[Jake]

My wife is living with another man she claims to be her husband. I think he may have been ordained recently. And they are frum but he has chametz between their sheets.

[Saskya]

This is the maddest story I have ever read! Who is this guy? This website is showing me the craziest things; I knew they went on but this is too much!

[R]

If all the women lived in the same house, chances are they would all get their period around the same time. So that's PMS times by six. I bet he had a mistress in another county. As for her suing him, you can't just sue in the UK and technically they weren't married. More like concubines.

[987230/מ]

Efraim is too cowardly to put his photo up here, so he mocks the host of this blog and one of the most courageous people in the Jewish world today.

Posted by: R. Wisler | January 22, 2013 at 12:51 PM

Efraim,
"I don't want to listen to you. You're wrong because you're fat" is how a four year old thinks, not a rational adult

Posted by: A. Nuran | January 22, 2013 at 01:11 PM

WTF is this "Efraim" and why has he been flamed?

[David]

If all the women lived in the same house, chances are they would all get their period around the same time.

Posted by: R | January 22, 2013 at 05:34 PM

Perhaps not. The whole idea of menstrual synchrony in humans is quite controversial.

See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Menstrual_synchrony

(Sorry, can't turn off bold even with multiple off tags.)

[Michelle Stein-Evers Frankl]

Together they look like Mormons.

While still in college, a group of friends and I would discuss whether R. Gershom's thousand year ban on polygamy for Ashkenazim would be released in 2000.

Before the Islamic Revolution, I met a Jewish man who had two wives. The first was a Jewish woman who was infertile, the second was a Muslim woman who had produced a large brood. The two women looked great, stylishly dressed, identical gems and they pile have passed for twins! Poor man though, he looked like the husk of skin left behind after juicing an orange!

I'd LOVE to have a sister wife/ she could clean the kitchen. We could shAre housework. I think it would be grand.

[flailed]

I'm counting seven women. Which one is the pilegesh?