(Hope this serves as a new topic) When were women allowed to make wills? This is an overly broad question. I am most interested in answers that apply to England and VA. I have seen wills made by women from 16th century England. In many cases, women were hog-tied because their husbands who predeceased them gave them only a life estate or until the widow remarried. If they didn't remarry, why would they need to make a will? Maybe for personal items. Spinsters often had outright ownership of land bequeathed them by their father. Some married women also had inheritances from an ancestor or deceased spouse that might be considered separate property. Hope some of you - Paul Drake maybe - can respond to my random thoughts above. Thanks, Judith B. Gabor ______________________________________ To subscribe, change options, or unsubscribe please see the instructions at http://listlva.lib.va.us/archives/va-hist.html