Single women who owned property in what we lawyers term " fee simple" ,that is absolutely,could deal with her own property.

But once this woman married, and for as long as she remained married, she was deemed incapable under the common law of having any power to deal with this property.Unless steps were taken to countract the general rule of common law, the property would become her husbands.

Which is why most people from the upper and middle classes inisited on some form of marraige settlement to try and protect their daughter's( and possible granshildren's) interests.