Green’s Dictionary of Slang

(UK, mainly northern) to cohabit, to live as man and wife without an actual marriage; thus tally-ho, living in this manner.

1864, 1867, 1870		Hotten Sl. Dict. 253: tally ‘to live tally,’ to live in a state of unmarried impropriety.
1868		Bradford Obs. 8 Dec. 4/3: He ‘used to live “tally” with his daughter,’ and that she (the daughter) had borne a child to him.
1870		Dly Gaz. for Middlesborough 22 June 2/5: The defendant’s housekeeper struck her, and said rather than she would return she would live tally with him.
1877		Five Years’ Penal Servitude 376: She found her with an infant in her arms, the result of a connection with a man she was then living ‘tally’ with.
1882		Sydney Sl. Dict. (2 edn) Tally - ‘To live tally,’ to live in a state of unmarried impropriety; ‘tally-wife,’ a woman who cohabits with a man without marriage: .
1888		S.O. Addy Sheffield Gloss. 251: To ’live tally’ with a woman is to live in concubinage with her.
1890		N&Q Ser. 7 X 297: [...] To live tally is quite a common expression amongst the working classes in all parts of Lancashire, as is also tally-woman.
1895		C. Crowe Aus. Sl. Dict. 84: Tally, ‘to live tally,’ said of man and woman living together, etc.
1896		Sheffield Eve. Teleg. 12 Mar. 4/2: His objection was that prisoner was 14 or 15 years older than his daughter, and had previously lived tally with another woman.
1901		Yorks. Eve. Post 7 June 6/6: The two could not get married so they agreed to ‘live tally’.
1935		Nottingham Eve. Post 1 Apr. 8/6: Scores of couples live together without benefit of clergy or registrar. They call it ‘living tally’.
1982		P. Barker Union Street 194: Even if she’d lost Ted, she didn’t think she’d ’ve married again. Live tally, her name on the rent book, yes. But marriage ... no.