Bonfield (law, New York Law School) was teaching courses in modern wills when a colleague suggested he do research on will contests in the past. A quarter century later, this book represents his resea
The history of the family has become an area of great interest, yet the property arrangements entered into upon marriage, a crucial aspect of the process of familial wealth transmission and distribution in the landed classes in early modern England, have never been systematically studied. In the light of evidence provided by hitherto unused family muniments, Dr Bonfield analyses the legal, social and economic aspects of these settlements, and discusses the development and impact of the strict settlement.
