9 August 1870
Married Women's Property Act

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Until now, when a woman married, any property she owned was legally transferred to her husband. Divorce laws heavily favoured men, and a divorced wife could expect to lose any property she had brought into the marriage.

In 1870 and 1882, Parliament changes the law with Married Women's Property Acts, which allow a wife to keep her property and her own earnings (the 1870 act doesn't come into force in Scotland until 1877). In 1873 and 1886, new laws make it easier for mothers to get custody of their children. In 1895, violence by the husband is recognised as grounds for a judicial separation, and a husband can be ordered to pay maintenance.

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