Hi all,
Looking for something else, and came across this on a web site. Cant make up my mind if I'd feel hard done by or not!!
Extracted from the book "The Tribal System in Wales" by F Seebohm 1904.
I cannot tell you how complex the Ancient customs and traditions relating to blood relationships and property ownership were, it is truly mind-boggling. However there is this one section that discusses the Dimetian, Gwentian and Venedotian Codes that has a piece that may be of topical interest and relates the system used for sharing the property of the ordinary married Welsh tribesman at the breakdown of a marriage pre the Norman Conquest, and beyond to a degree.
" If a man takes a wife by gift of kindred and leave her before the end of seven years, let him pay her agweddi to her.... if she be left after the end of seven years let there be an equal sharing between them, unless the privilege of the husband entitle him to more. The wife’s father paid [an agweddi to the husband on consummation of her marriage]. Beyond that,certain things were specially named as to be given to the husband and certain things to the wife."
Here is the list;
"The swine to the husband, and the sheep to the wife,[or] if there be only one kind they are to be shared.
If there be sheep and goats, the sheep to the husband and the goats to the wife.....
Of the children, two shares to the father, and one to the mother; the oldest and youngest to the father and the middle-most to the mother.
The household furniture is to be thus shared.
All the milking vessels except one pail go to the wife.
All the dishes except one dish go to the wife.
The wife is to have the car [?] and the yoke to convey her furniture from the house.
The husband is to have all the drinking vessels.
The husband the riddle, the wife the small sieve.
The husband the upper stone of the quern, the wife the lower.
The clothes that are over them to the wife,; the clothes that are under them to the husband...
To the husband the kettle, the bed coverlet, the bolster of the dormitory, the coulter, the fuel axe, the auger, the settle, and all the hooks save one.
To the wife the pan, the trivet, the broad axe, the hedge bill, the ploughshare, all the flax, the linseed, the wool, the house bag with its contents except gold and silver [which are to be shared].
If there be webs, they are to be shared.
The yarn balls to the children [if any]; if none then shared.
The husband is to have the barn, and all the corn above ground and underground.
The husband the poultry and one of the cats, the rest to the wife.
The provisions are thus to be shared;
To the wife the meat in the brine, and the cheese in the brine; and after they are hung up to the husband.
To the wife the vessels of butter in cut, the meat in cut, and the cheese in cut.
To the wife as much of the meal as she can carry between her arms and knees from the storeroom into the house.
As there is no mention of the cattle which were presumably the main part of the da [separate assets] of both husband and wife they were presumably equally divided."
