From roots-in@roots-l.rootsweb.com Tue Jun 27 13:28:26 2006 Received: from mail.rootsweb.com (mail.rootsweb.com [192.168.65.34]) by admin.rootsweb.com (8.12.8/8.12.8) with ESMTP id k5RJSPjb011190; Tue, 27 Jun 2006 13:28:25 -0600 Received: from roots-l.rootsweb.com (roots-l.rootsweb.com [66.43.16.22]) by mail.rootsweb.com (8.13.4/8.13.4) with ESMTP id k5RJSOH2004388 for ; Tue, 27 Jun 2006 13:28:24 -0600 Received: from roots-l.rootsweb.com (roots-l [127.0.0.1]) by roots-l.rootsweb.com (8.12.10/8.12.10) with ESMTP id k5RGpdFI032634 for ; Tue, 27 Jun 2006 12:51:39 -0400 Received: (from roots-in@localhost) by roots-l.rootsweb.com (8.12.10/8.12.8/Submit) id k5RGpdwK032633 for roots-approved@rootsweb.com; Tue, 27 Jun 2006 12:51:39 -0400 Received: from lists5.rootsweb.com (lists5.rootsweb.com [66.43.27.41]) by roots-l.rootsweb.com (8.12.10/8.12.10) with SMTP id k5REtnFI032369 for ; Tue, 27 Jun 2006 10:55:49 -0400 Received: (from slist@localhost) by lists5.rootsweb.com (8.12.8/8.12.8) id k5RHWNLv003845 for roots-in@roots-l.rootsweb.com; Tue, 27 Jun 2006 11:32:23 -0600 X-Envelope-From: hornbeck@s-hornbeck.com Tue Jun 27 11:32:23 2006 Received: from mail.rootsweb.com (mail.rootsweb.com [192.168.65.34]) by admin.rootsweb.com (8.12.8/8.12.8) with ESMTP id k5RHWNjb003836 for ; Tue, 27 Jun 2006 11:32:23 -0600 Received: from smtp104.plus.mail.mud.yahoo.com (smtp104.plus.mail.mud.yahoo.com [68.142.206.237]) by mail.rootsweb.com (8.13.4/8.13.4) with SMTP id k5RHWF4J009921 for ; Tue, 27 Jun 2006 11:32:20 -0600 Received: (qmail 74487 invoked from network); 27 Jun 2006 17:32:12 -0000 Received: from unknown (HELO Shirley.s-hornbeck.com) (shirleyhornbeck@sbcglobal.net@69.110.195.73 with login) by smtp104.plus.mail.mud.yahoo.com with SMTP; 27 Jun 2006 17:32:11 -0000 Message-Id: <6.2.3.4.2.20060627102907.02956050@pop.mail.yahoo.com> X-Mailer: QUALCOMM Windows Eudora Version 6.2.3.4 Date: Tue, 27 Jun 2006 10:29:21 -0700 To: ROOTS-L@rootsweb.com From: Shirley Hornbeck Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"; format=flowed X-Spam-Score: 1.01 (*) BAYES_00,RCVD_IN_PSBL X-Scanned-By: MIMEDefang 2.52 on 192.168.65.34 X-Scanned-By: MIMEDefang 2.52 on 192.168.65.34 Sender: roots-in@roots-l.rootsweb.com Subject: [ROOTS-L] This and That Mourning Rings and Dower Rights MOURNING RINGS: In Colonial days gifts (rings, scarves, gloves, etc.) were given to those invited to the funeral as a way of paying tribute to the dead. The custom came from England and was so strongly ingrained that even pauper funerals required a minimum of gifts. Prominent persons' funerals could require the distribution in excess of, for example 2,000 pairs of gloves. The cost of the gifts was deducted from the estate of the deceased, which eventually led to laws prohibiting the custom, which frequently had left a widow and her children virtually paupers. DOWER RIGHTS: refers to a married woman's 1/3 interest in her husband's estate, at his death. This was to protect her from an unscrupulous husband leaving her out of his will, or in the case of no will, she had protection. When a married man sold property, or took a mortgage, the wife had to sign for herself relinquishing her 1/3 interest to the buyer or the mortgagee otherwise she still had a 1/3 interest in someone else's property. The word is "Dower" rather than dowager; several of the original colony states continued this practice of dower rights for many years. More Tips at my This and That page, url below. Shirley Hornbeck http://www.s-hornbeck.com THIS & THAT GENEALOGY TIPS: