The old woman's wish”

This article considers the extent of changes between 1500 and 1700 in the provisions for widows in the wills from two villages in the east of England (Cratfield and Poslingford in Suffolk). Will-makers were by no means a homogeneous group but had more in common with each other than they did with the poor. The stage in life reached by both the testator and his widow helped determine the type of old-age provision received and the degree of involvement with the estate. The existence of young children proved to be not as an important factor in the decision-making process as either age or social status. Some widows received land from husbands who had been yeomen; other received goods. Older testators favored annuities and similar arrangements, while younger testators (under 60) preferred a division of property between the widow and at least one son. When there were minor children, the widow was more likely to be awarded all or part of the landed estate. Over time, greater reliance upon cash and credit created a more fluid and responsive range of old-age provisions but did not completely replace traditional forms of support

Bequest · Cash · Demographic economics · Economics · Estate · Estate planning · Homogeneous · Minor (academic · Political science · Property (philosophy · Settlor · Sociology · Wish · Demography · Historical Economic and Social Studies · Historical Legal Studies and Society · Historical Studies on Reproduction, Gender, Health, and Societal Changes · Law · Finance

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