the married
women only one benefit for having come to the colony, and that was the
continuation of the bonus of fifty acres of land in control of their
husbands. A married woman in the Colony had no title whatsoever to
possessions during her husband's lifetime. She could not hold land in
her name; any bequest from the estate of her parents became her
husband's property, and the receipt of it was acknowledged in Court by
him. Colonel Joseph Bridger sought through terms in his will, dated
1683, to prevent the husband of his daughter Martha from coming into
possession of her inheritance, stipulating that his bequest to her was
for her sole use and, should her husband desire to dispose of it, then,
the inheritance should not come into his hands but should remain under
control of the executrix. Nevertheless, Thomas Godwin signed a receipt
for his wife's portion, according to law, and despite the Colonel's last
wishes, it became his sole possession.

If a woman married a second or third time, land and possessions held in
her name, during her widowhood, immediately became the property of the
next husband. For that reason, women, on contemplating a second
marriage, and wishing the children by a former husband to have the
benefit of their father's holdings, either gave them title to the
possessions, just prior to the intended marriage, or exacted from the
prospective husband an agreement to give the child or children
possession of their rightful inheritance, upon arriving at age. This
agreement was duly recorded in the court records.

Now and then, a marriage agreement was so drawn, that the prospective
husband's plantation was assured to his intended bride and her heirs,
and could therefore never come into possession of a second wife or her
heirs. A most careful legal maneuvering to this end is recorded in a
marriage agreement, 1652, between Frances Culpeper and Captain Samuel
Stephens. On the eve of marriage, the intended groom conveyed his 1350
acre plantation, "Bolthrope" on the Warwick River, in trust to Warham
Horsmanden and George Hunt, who then according to agreement, reconveyed
the land to Stephens during his lifetime. At his death, according to the
terms stipulated, Frances (Culpeper) Stephens his wife came into sole
possession.

About the same time, 1651, John Chew of York County, was able to have
drawn a less exacting contract on the eve of his second marriage. While
he agreed to give, to his prospective bride Mrs