Coverture

Coverture was a legal doctrine in English common law under which a married woman's legal existence was considered merged with that of her husband. On marrying, a woman lost her independent legal existence, reflecting the era's expectation that her husband would provide for and protect her in turn. Under coverture a married woman became a feme covert, whose legal rights and obligations were largely absorbed into her husband's, while an unmarried woman, or feme sole, kept the right to own property and enter contracts in her own name.