This volume has been many years in the making. I first discovered examples of wives and husbands suing each other in Requests in 1989 while pursuing doctoral research. Pat Stretton and Jane Martindale independently suggested that the cases were worthy of publication, and Jane helped to bring this idea to the attention of the literary editors of the Royal Historical Society. I thank them both. Since then the editors of the Camden Series, Andrew Pettegree and Ian Archer, have provided support and shown unstinting patience for a project that has seasonally burst the banks of its projected deadlines. I am grateful to them, to the anonymous reviewer of the original proposal for pointing out the need to determine the frequency with which cases of this type came into Requests, and to the National Archives for permitting the cases to be reproduced. For financial support I wish to acknowledge the generosity of the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada, grant-giving bodies within Waikato University, Dalhousie University, and Saint Mary's University, and Lyndan Warner. A number of scholars, archivists, and friends have provided advice as well as technical help in identifying legal counsel, deciphering handwriting, and translating Latin abbreviations. I would like to thank Christopher Brooks, Sara Butler, Sabina Flannagan, Elizabeth Foyster, Lamar Hill, Martin Holt, Wilfrid Prest, and the helpful staff at the National Archives, especially Amanda Bevan, Sean Cunningham, Alistair Hanson, and Malcolm Mercer. All of them are absolved of responsibility for any of the errors that remain. For the generosity of their hospitality during the compiling and editing of this volume, I would like to offer my gratitude to Gareth Edwards, Frances Wedgwood, Nick Manglaras, Francesca Amirato, and the Tewsons. Final thanks go to Lyndan Warner, for her support, her comments on the introduction, and her willingness to look after our children while I made annual visits to London and Kew.

The theoretical restrictions and obligations that marriage imposed on wives and husbands throughout most of English history appear relatively clear and unequivocal. Prior to the modern era, husbands enjoyed a monopoly over the management of marital property and an obligation to maintain their wives at a level befitting the couple's social standing and material resources. Wives, meanwhile, could not independently possess and control property, and, without the permission of their husbands, they could not buy or sell goods, enter into contracts, make wills, or be parties to law suits. What is less straightforward, however, is the way individual wives and husbands accepted or resisted these restrictions and obligations in daily life.

Court Order   25 November 1542   REQ 1/7, fo. 136  25

Court Order   21 February 1544   REQ 1/7, fo. 178  27

Paper Copy of Bill of Complaint   27 April 1553   REQ 2/14/53, m. 1  29

Court Order   22 June 1553   REQ 1/9, fo. 157  30

Paper Copy of Order   22 June 1553   REQ 2/14/53, m. 2  32

Parchment Bill of Complaint   7 May 1555   REQ 2/24/82  33

Court Order   11 February 1562   REQ 1/11, p. 20  35

Court Order   12 February 1562   REQ 1/11, p. 21  35

Parchment Rejoinder   [1562]   REQ 2/166/171, m. 1  35

Court Order   7 February 1566   REQ 1/11, fo. 590  49

Court Order   3 November 1585   REQ 1/14, p. 59  54

Copy of Letter   3 May 1587   REQ 1/14, p. 559  54

Court Note   17 June 1587   REQ 1/14, p. 618  57

Parchment Interrogatories   [1591]   REQ 2/256/75, m. 4  57

Paper Depositions   21 October 1591   REQ 2/256/75, m. 1  58

Parchment Interrogatories   [1592]   REQ 2/132/29, m. 4  61

Paper Depositions   8 May 1592   REQ 2/132/29, m. 1  63

Parchment Depositions   28 May 1592   REQ 2/132/29, m. 3  65

Parchment Interrogatories   [1592]   REQ 2/132/29, m. 8  66

Paper Depositions   2 June 1592   REQ 2/132/29, m. 5  68

Court Order   3 February 1593   REQ 1/17, p. 32  69

Draft Court Order   7 June 1594   REQ 1/46  69

Draft Court Order   10 June 1594   REQ 1/46  70

Court Order   9 November 1594   REQ 1/18, p. 61  70

Court Order   25 November 1594   REQ 1/18, p. 97  71

Paper Petition   [1594]   REQ 2/226/66, m. 1  73

Parchment Bill of Complaint   11 February 1594   REQ 2/226/66, m. 2  74

Parchment Answers   17 April 1594   REQ 2/226/66, m. 4  76

Parchment Replication   3 May 1594   REQ 2/226/66, m. 3  81

Parchment Interrogatories   1594   REQ 2/229/25, m. 19  90

Paper Deposition   19 May 1594   REQ 2/229/25, m. 3  94

Parchment Interrogatories   [1594]   REQ 2/229/25, m. 2  105

Paper Depositions   11 June 1594   REQ 2/229/25, m. 1  106

Court Order   22 November 1594   REQ 1/18, p. 87  107

Court Order   1 February 1595   REQ 1/18, p. 303  107

Parchment Bill of Complaint   1 May 1594   REQ 2/50/39, m. 2  109

Parchment Demurrer and Answer   15 May 1594   REQ 2/50/39, m. 1  111

Parchment Bill of Complaint   4 June 1594   REQ 2/262/20  115

Court Order   11 October 1594   REQ 1/18, p. 6  118

Court Order   14 October 1594   REQ 1/18, p. 15  118

Court Order   19 October 1594   REQ 1/18, p. 27  119

Parchment Bill of Complaint   19 November 1595   REQ 2/273/67, m. 6  121

Parchment Answer and Demurrer   27 January 1596   REQ 2/273/67, m. 5  124

Parchment Replication   7 February 1596   REQ 2/273/67, m. 4  132

Court Order   9 February 1596   REQ 1/18, p. 853  134

Court Order   18 March 1596   REQ 1/18, p. 913  135

Draft Court Order   24 May 1596   REQ 1/47  136

Draft Court Order   14 June 1596   REQ 1/47  136

Parchment Interrogatories   [1596]   REQ 2/275/80, m. 15  136

Paper Depositions   24 June 1596   REQ 2/275/80, m. 1  139

Draft Court Order   6 November 1596   REQ 1/47  150

Draft Court Order   11 November 1596   REQ 1/47  150

Draft Court Order   15 November 1596   REQ 1/47  150

Draft Court Order   26 November 1596   REQ 1/47  151

Draft Court Order   7 February 1597   REQ 1/47  151

Draft Court Order   16 April 1597   REQ 1/48  152

Draft Court Order   26 April 1597   REQ 1/48  152

Draft Court Order   4 May 1597   REQ 1/48  153

Draft Court Order   7 May 1597   REQ 1/48  153

Draft Court Order   31 May 1597   REQ 1/48  153

Court Order   11 October 1597   REQ 1/19, p. 4  154

Court Order   24 November 1597   REQ 1/19, p. 138  154

Parchment Commission   24 November 1597   REQ 2/273/67, m. 1  156

Parchment Interrogatories   [1597/1598]   REQ 2/273/67, m. 2  158

Parchment Depositions   9 January 1598   REQ 2/273/67, m. 3  159

Court Order   9 February 1598   REQ 1/19, p. 201  166

Court Order   11 February 1598   REQ 1/19, p. 209  167

Court Order   9 May 1598   REQ 1/19, p. 292  167

Court Order   12 May 1598   REQ 1/19, p. 301  167

Court Order   13 May 1598   REQ 1/19, p. 304  167

Court Order and Decree   20 May 1598   REQ 1/19, p. 405  168

Parchment Bill of Complaint   19 October 1596   REQ 2/234/61, m. 1  171

Demurrer and Exceptions   23 October 1596   REQ 2/234/61, m. 3  175

Draft Court Order   25 October 1596 REQ 1/47  177

Draft Court Order    4 November 1596   REQ 1/47  177

Draft Court Order   6 November 1596   REQ 1/47  177

Draft Court Order   11 November 1596   REQ 1/47  178

Draft Court Order   15 November 1596   REQ 1/47  178

Parchment Demurrer and Answer   16 November 1596   REQ 2/234/61, m. 2  178

Draft Court Order   18 November 1596   REQ 1/47  182

Court Order   20 October 1597   REQ 1/19, p. 19  183

Court Order   25 October 1597   REQ 1/19, p. 104  183

Court Order   8 November 1597   REQ 1/19, p. 116  184

Court Order   29 January 1598   REQ 1/19, p. 224  186

Court Order   25 October 1598   REQ 1/19, p. 566  188

Court Order   27 November 1598   REQ 1/19, p. 612  189

Draft Court Order   27 November 1596   REQ 1/47  191

Draft Court Order   30 November 1596   REQ 1/47  191

Parchment Bill of Complaint   20 November 1602 REQ 2/210/17, m. 3  193

Parchment Answer   28 January 1603   REQ 2/210/17, m. 2  198

Parchment Answer   [1603]   REQ 2/210/17, m. 1  205

Court Order   25 May 1603   REQ 1/21, p. 152  208

Court Order   28 May 1603   REQ 1/21, p. 159  209

Court Order   26 June 1603   REQ 1/21, p. 246  210

Court Order   18 November 1603   REQ 1/21, p. 294  210

Court Order   24 November 1603   REQ 1/21, p. 327  211

Paper Inventory   25 November 1603   REQ 2/420/60, m. 1  211

Court Order   28 November 1603   REQ 1/21, p. 312  215

Court Order   1 February 1604   REQ 1/21, p. 357  215

Court Order   13 February 1604   REQ 1/21, p. 377  216

Court Order   7 February 1606   REQ 1/22, fo. 141v  217

Court Order   19 May 1606   REQ 1/23, p. 39  217

Court Order   30 May 1606   REQ 1/23, p. 65  217

Court Order   1 July 1606   REQ 1/23, p. 157  218

Court Order   8 July 1606   REQ 1/23, p. 266  218

Court Order   4 November 1606   REQ 1/23, p. 296  219

Parchment Bill of Complaint   10 January 1609   REQ 2/414/40, m. 3  221

Parchment Commission   7 February 1609   REQ 2/414/40, m. 1  225

Parchment Answer   26 April 1609   REQ 2/414/40, m. 2  226

Court Order   October 1613   REQ 1/27, p. 15  233

Court Order   7 February 1614   REQ 1/27, p. 203  233

Court Order   25 October 1615   REQ 1/28, fo. 65  234