Baron and Feme: A Treatise of Law and Equity, Concerning Husbands.. by Carter, Samuel, Attributed - 1719

1719. One of 4 early books on the Law of Women. One of 4 early books on the Law of Women. The First English Treatise on Family Law [Carter, Samuel, Attributed]. Baron and Feme: A Treatise of Law and Equity, Concerning Husbands and Wives. Wherein is Contained the Nature of a Feme Covert, And of Marriages, Bastards; The Privileges of Feme Coverts; What Alterations are Made by Marriage as to Estates, Leases, Goods, and Actions; What Things Accrue to the Husband by the Intermarriage or Not; What Acts, Charges, Forfeitures by the Husband Shall Bind the Wife After His Death or Not; Of Jointures, And Pleading, Fines and Recovery, Conveyances and Other Law; Titles Relating to Baron and Feme. Of Wills, And Feme Covert Being Executrix. Of the Wife's Separate Dispositions and Maintenances; What Amounts to the Disposition of the Wife's Term by the Husband; Of Actions Brought by and Against Baron and Feme; What Actions Done or Contracts Made by the Wife Shall Bind Her Husband; Of Indictments and Informations Against Them; Of Baron and Femes Joinder in Action; Of a Feme Sole Merchant; Declaration and Pleas Etc.; Of Divorces Etc.; With Many Other Matters Relating to the Said Subject. London: John Walthoe, 1719. [xxvi], 422, [42] pp. Title page preceded by one-page publisher list, another publisher list after index. Octavo (8" x 5"). Contemporary calf, rebacked in period style, blind frames to boards, blind fillets along joints, raised bands and lettering piece to spine, speckled edges, gilt tooling to board edges, hinges and upper corners of free endpapers mended. Light rubbing to boards, moderate rubbing to extremities, corners bumped and lightly worn, early armorial bookplate (of M. Verney Fermanagh) and owner inscription (of R. Calvert) to front pastedown, early owner initials (?) to front free endpaper, its upper corner removed. Light toning, slightly heavier in places. $2,500. * Second edition. First published in 1700, this is the first English treatise devoted exclusively to family law. Its third and final edition was published in 1738. It is a broadly conceived work. "I have herein considered Baron and Feme in all the circumstances of life, from the solemnization of marriage to the divorce, and have not omitted 'those collateral by-blows, (the title of bastardy making a considerable figure in our books;) and the variety of the matter made me some attonement for the lab.