Page:A brief summary, in plain language, of the most important laws concerning women, together with a few observations thereon.pdf/11

 LAWS CONCERNING WOMEN IN OTHER RELATIONSHIPS.

A woman can act as agent for another, and, as an attorney, legally execute her authority. A wife can so act if her husband do not dissent.

An unmarried woman can be vested with a trust, but if she marry, the complexities and difficulties are great, from her inability to enter alone into deeds and assurances.

A single woman can act as executrix under a will, but a wife cannot accept an executorship without her husband's consent.

A woman is capable of holding the office of administratrix to an intestate personalty, and administration will be granted to her if she be next of kin to the intestate. But a wife cannot act without the consent of her husband.

If a man place a woman in his house, and treat her as his wife, he is responsible for her debts.

LAWS CONCERNING ILLEGITIMATE CHILDREN AND THEIR MOTHERS.

A single woman having a child may throw the maintenance upon the putative father, so called to distinguish him from a husband, until the age of thirteen.

The law only enforces the parents to maintain such child, and the sum the father is obliged to pay, after an order of affiliation proved against him, never exceeds two shillings and sixpence a week.

The mother, as long as she is unmarried or a widow, is bound to maintain such child as a part of her family until such child attain the age of sixteen.

A man marrying a woman having a child or children at the time of such marriage is bound to support them, whether legitimate or not, until the age of sixteen.

The rights of an illegitimate child are only such as he can acquire; he can inherit nothing, being in law looked