English law applied to all persons in the original 13 colonies. In particular, women were not considered the equals of men in many ways. This is demonstrated in both the word of the law and its implementation, and married women’s property rights reflected this.

There are a number of terms that you will repeatedly encounter in your research into the property records and the rights of females. It is important that you comprehend their meanings in order to understand the verbiage and intent of the legal documents. Some of the most common documents you’ll discover with these terms will include wills and probate records, deeds, mortgages, trust, guardianships, contracts, prenuptial estates and settlements, and more.