Jointures

Jointures in medieval English law referred to provisions made for a wife by her husband, either at the time of marriage or subsequently, to ensure her financial support in widowhood. Typically, a jointure was a grant of land or other property, the income from which the wife would receive during her lifetime should she outlive her husband. This was distinct from her dower, which was a husband's legal obligation to provide a portion of his lands for his wife's sustenance after his death, usually a third of his holdings. Jointures were often established by the husband to provide more generously or specifically than dower laws might allow, or to control the disposition of property in a way that suited his estate planning. They could be made "in satisfaction of dower," meaning the wife would receive the jointure in lieu of her dower rights. The specific terms and value of a jointure were usually detailed in a legal document, often executed around the time of the marriage. This practice aimed to provide security for the wife and to avoid potential disputes over property following the husband's death.