The Married Women’s Property Act 1882 (MWPA 1882) introduced the doctrine of separate property, enabling married women to own and control property independently of their husbands.
1882
The Six Point Group (SPG) was established
1921
Dorothy Evans created an SPG sub-committee to promote the legal status of housewives. It became the Married Women’s Association (MWA) and Juanita Frances was brought in as Chairman.
1937
The MWA separated from the SPG and became an independent organisation. Edith Summerskill became the MWA’s first President shortly thereafter.
1938
The Court of Appeal held in Blackwell v Blackwell [1943] 2 All ER 579 that a wife’s savings derived from housekeeping allowance were owned by the husband because he had provided that allowance. The MWA funded the wife’s (ultimately unsuccessful) case, using it to launch a reform campaign lasting 21 years.
1943
Edith Summerskill brought the Women’s Disabilities Bill to the House of Commons. Though unsuccessful, the Bill’s provisions relating to maintenance and housekeeping savings foreshadowed later reform. In the same year, Edith Summerskill resigned as President of the MWA but continued to work closely with the Association.
1951
The MWA split following a disagreement over evidence submitted to the Royal Commission on Marriage and Divorce. Several Executive Committee members (including then President Helena Normanton) formed the breakaway group the Council of Married Women (CMW).
1952
The Royal Commission on Marriage and Divorce published its report. It endorsed the concept of equal partnership in marriage (the MWA’s objective) but did not recommend substantial reform to achieve it.
1956
The Maintenance Orders Act 1958 enabled maintenance to be deducted from the defaulting spouse’s pay packet. This was prompted by an MWA campaign and a Bill drafted by MWA members.
1958
The Blackwell campaign culminated in the Married Women’s Property Act 1964 (MWPA 1964); a Private Member’s Bill introduced by Edith Summerskill. The Act provided that where a husband makes a housekeeping allowance to his wife, money derived from the allowance and property bought with that money belong to the husband and wife in equal shares.
1964
The Matrimonial Homes Act 1967, introduced into Parliament by Edith Summerskill, gave spouses a right to occupy the matrimonial home.
1967
Edward Bishop MP’s Matrimonial Property Bill, which was inspired by an MWA Bill of the same name, received a Second Reading in the House of Commons. It was subsequently withdrawn after an agreement with the government that the introduction of the Divorce Reform Act 1969 would be delayed so the financial consequences of divorce could be reformed too.
1969
The Matrimonial Proceedings and Property Act 1970 was passed following pressure to reform the financial consequences of divorce alongside changes to divorce procedure. Both the 1970 Act and the Divorce Reform Act 1969 were later consolidated in the Matrimonial Causes Act 1973.
1970
The Matrimonial Homes (Co-Ownership) Bill, which provided for statutory co-ownership of the matrimonial home, was introduced into the House of Lords by Lord Simon. After being withdrawn and redrafted following the decision in Williams & Glyn’s Bank Ltd v Boland [1980] UKHL 4, it was ultimately blocked by the Campaign for Justice in Divorce.
1980
The MWA’s rough minute book noted there would be no further meetings, but archival evidence suggests MWA activities continued into the late 1980s and beyond.
1981
The Family Law (Scotland) Act 1985 (ss 25 and 26) repealed the MWPA 1964 in Scotland and replaced it with a presumption for household goods and housekeeping allowance to be owned in equal shares.
1985
The Law Commission proposed a Matrimonial Property Bill which was never introduced. It sought to replace the MWPA 1964 with rules facilitating joint ownership of property when property was transferred between spouses or used for the benefit of both spouses.
1988
The Married Women's Association 