DOWERS
In Bahamian society a man's wife is entitled to 1/3 of all his
estate. This is called Dower rights. When land/property is sold
by the husband, the woman must renounce all claim to the land
or property. Without this renunciation the land cannot be sold.
The
Archives has in its possession a number of volumes re: Dower
renunciation which were deposited by the Registrar General's
Department. These span the years 1791 - 1910 but do not run
continuously. However some Dower records are mixed with deeds
and conveyances. These cover the period 1859 - 1951
The records
tell the names of parties involved, the type of transaction
and the location of the property. The volumes are also on
microfilm. |
