A Comparison of the Status of Widows in Eighteenth-Century England and Colonial America.
Description:
This thesis compares the status of upper-class widows in England to Colonial America. The common law traditions in England established dower, which was also used in the American colonies. Dower guaranteed widows the right to one-third of the land and property of her husband. Jointure was instituted in England in 1536 and enabled men to bypass dower and settle a yearly sum on a widow. The creation of jointure was able to proliferate in England due to the cash-centered economy, but jointure never…
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Date:
May 2004
Creator:
Jones, Sarah E.
Partner:
UNT Libraries