The New Testament made no pronouncements about wives' property rights, which in practice were influenced more by secular laws than religion. Most influential in the pre-modern West was the civil law, except in English-speaking countries where English common law emerged in the High Middle Ages. In addition, local customary law influenced wives' property rights; as a result, wives' property rights in the pre-modern West varied widely from region to region. Because wives' property rights and daughters' inheritance rights varied widely from region to region due to differing legal systems, the amount of property a wife might own varied greatly. Under the English common law system, which dates to the later medieval period, daughters and younger sons were usually excluded from landed property if no will was produced. Under English common law, there was a system where a wife with a living husband ("feme couvert") could own little property in her own name.Elizabeth M. Craik, Marriage and property, Aberdeen 1984 Unable to easily support herself, marriage was very important to most women's economic status. This problem has been dealt with extensively in literature, where the most important reason for women's limited power was the denial of equal education and equal property rights for females.In the 18th and 19th centuries, which contained much criticism of these facts, see also Mary Wollstonecraft, A Vindication of the Rights of Women, Boston 1792 The situation was assessed by the English conservative moralist Sir William Blackstone: "The husband and wife are one, and the husband is the one."William Blackstone, Commentaries upon the Laws of England Married women's property rights in the English-speaking world improved with the Married Women's Property Act 1882 and similar legal changes, which allowed wives with living husbands to own property in their own names. Until late in the 20th century, women could in some regions or times sue a man for wreath money when he took her virginity without taking her as his wife.Brockhaus 2004, Kranzgeld.
The New Testament made no pronouncements about wives' property rights which in practice were influenced more by secular laws than religion Most influential in the pre-modern West was the civil law except in English-speaking countries where English common law emerged in the High Middle Ages In addition local customary law influenced wives' property rights; as a result wives' property rights in the pre-modern West varied widely from region to region Because wives' property rights and daughters' inheritance rights varied widely from region to region due to differing legal systems the amount of property a wife might own varied greatly Under the English common law system which dates to the later medieval period daughters and younger sons were usually excluded from landed property if no will was produced Under English common law there was a system where a wife with a living husband ("feme couvert") could own little property in her own nameElizabeth M Craik Marriage and property Aberdeen 1984 Unable to easily support herself marriage was very important to most women's economic status This problem has been dealt with extensively in literature where the most important reason for women's limited power was the denial of equal education and equal property rights for femalesIn the 18th and 19th centuries which contained much criticism of these facts see also Mary Wollstonecraft A Vindication of the Rights of Women Boston 1792 The situation was assessed by the English conservative moralist Sir William Blackstone "The husband and wife are one and the husband is the one"William Blackstone Commentaries upon the Laws of England Married women's property rights in the English-speaking world improved with the Married Women's Property Act 1882 and similar legal changes which allowed wives with living husbands to own property in their own names Until late in the 20th century women could in some regions or times sue a man for wreath money when he took her virginity without taking her as his wifeBrockhaus 2004 Kranzgeld