Chap. II
Should it happen, as it sometimes does, that a man endows a Woman, having but a small freehold at the time of his being affianced, he may afterwards enlarge her Dower to the third part or less of the Lands, he may have164 purchased.
But if upon the Assignment of Dower, no mention was made concerning purchases, even admitting that at the time of affiance he possessed but a small Estate, and that he afterwards much increased it, the Wife cannot claim as Dower more than a third part of such Land as her Husband held, at the time of being affianced, and when he endowed her. The same Rule prevails if a Man, not being possessed of any Land, should endow his Wife with his Chattels,165 and other things, or even with Money. Should he afterwards make considerable purchases in Land and Tenements, the Wife cannot claim any part of such property so acquired by purchase; it being, with respect to the quantity or quality of the Dower assigned to any Woman, a general principle, that if she is satisfied to the extent of her endowment at the door of the Church, she can never afterwards claim as Dower anything beyond it.166