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Thank you for sharing. This was a wonderful story of warmth bestowed to her by a generous but not wealthy family as a young child, and of her own grit and dete

Thank you for sharing. This was a wonderful story of warmth bestowed to her by a generous but not wealthy family as a young child, and of her own grit and determination against resistance and challenge, and of giving back to others. I'm also quite astounded that married women in the UK could not open their own bank accounts without their husband's permission - in the 1960s.

Consultant32452 7y ago
This concept is called coverture. By law, upon marriage, a woman's identity merged with the husband's into a single legal entity. But in practice, all of the rights and responsibility fell to the man. Indeed the husband was also legally responsible for the misdeeds of the wife. This is because the wife was assumed to be acting under the orders of the husband, even if that were not the case. It was really messed up.
- pmyteh 7y ago
  It was, though it didn't last until the 1960s - the Married Women's Property Acts in the late 19th Century ended it. The problem with mortgages was more quotidian sexism, I think: women weren't considered to be serious enough earners to be creditworthy for a mortgage.
tim333 7y ago
That surprised me too. Googling it I don't think it was a legal requirement but down to the bank. There was one lady on a forum complaining it had happened in 89: >Never mind the 1970s - I was refused a bank account in 1989. I was working, my (then) partner was not, yet a bank told me I needed to get him to sign on my behalf. I walked out and went elsewhere.
- aries1980 7y ago
  I'm not surprised. In 2017, a new colleague of mine from an EU country wanted to open a bank account to receive his salary. Even he had a proof of address, letter from the employer, EU passport, I, as his line manager, personally had to walk into the bank branches. Lloyds, Halifax, RBS, Natwest, HSBC kicked us out, only the 6th one decided to open one, after couple of personal visit…

Consultant32452 7y ago

This concept is called coverture. By law, upon marriage, a woman's identity merged with the husband's into a single legal entity. But in practice, all of the rights and responsibility fell to the man. Indeed the husband was also legally responsible for the misdeeds of the wife. This is because the wife was assumed to be acting under the orders of the husband, even if that were not the case. It was really messed up.

pmyteh 7y ago
It was, though it didn't last until the 1960s - the Married Women's Property Acts in the late 19th Century ended it. The problem with mortgages was more quotidian sexism, I think: women weren't considered to be serious enough earners to be creditworthy for a mortgage.

tim333 7y ago

That surprised me too. Googling it I don't think it was a legal requirement but down to the bank. There was one lady on a forum complaining it had happened in 89: >Never mind the 1970s - I was refused a bank account in 1989. I was working, my (then) partner was not, yet a bank told me I needed to get him to sign on my behalf. I walked out and went elsewhere.

aries1980 7y ago
I'm not surprised. In 2017, a new colleague of mine from an EU country wanted to open a bank account to receive his salary. Even he had a proof of address, letter from the employer, EU passport, I, as his line manager, personally had to walk into the bank branches. Lloyds, Halifax, RBS, Natwest, HSBC kicked us out, only the 6th one decided to open one, after couple of personal visit…