Interestingly, when I came as a bride to South Carolina in the early 1970s, each time we sold a house my husband had to leave the room so I could sign over my dower rights freely, proving I was not coerced to do so! Chanda Blitch Hickory, North Carolina On Oct 19, 2004, at 6:00 PM, OLD-ENGLISH-D-request@rootsweb.com wrote: > > From: Eve McLaughlin <eve@varneys.demon.co.uk> > Date: October 18, 2004 8:13:42 PM EDT > To: OLD-ENGLISH-L@rootsweb.com > Subject: Re: [OEL] Dower Rights; Title of Dower and Thirds > > > In message <20041018173655.39462.qmail@web60906.mail.yahoo.com>, Sharon > Pilkington <ssusmol@yahoo.ca> writes >> Dower -dowry. Here's a link. It pertains to Canada, but it should >> suffice as an >> explaination. > dowry is what the father gives with his daughter on marriage. Dower is > her right to a cut when the husband dies (and she is a dowager). Subtle > difference, though the second may be settled when the first is handed > over.