suum cuique tribuere – elsa trolle önnerfors 181 could be divided into four subgroups: disputes about marriage and betrothal, disputes about morning gifts, disputes about inheritance and wills and, finally, other disputes about family law.503 Marriage, especially within the nobility, was a matter of interest for the whole family.503 An important factor in choosing a spouse was finance, among other things the family’s control over landed property. Besides an honorable marriage, the aim of every nobleman was to preserve, and perhaps even expand, his estates. Through her morning gift and inheritance rights, a wife was a means of maintaining or accumulating wealth. Her network of family and friends was a means of advancement in society, and a good wife should of course also provide her husband with children (that is, legitimate heirs).504 For the nobility, another aspect of the connection between marriage, land ownership and honour was misalliances: marriages with one noble spouse and the other a commoner.505 Disputes about such marriages were of great importance for the nobility, and several such cases can be found 502 In the last-mentioned category, the disputes were often related to legal matters such as guardianship or kinship. For cases regarding guardianship, see, for example, judgements from 28 March 1670 (RA, SHA, B II a:42), 17 December 1680 (RA, SHA, B II a:51) and 13 December 1690 (RA, SHA, B II a:61). For cases involving kinship, see, for example, judgements from 17 July and 4 December 1650 (RA, SHA, B II a:22). 503 For further reading on marriage and betrothal in early modern Sweden, see Korpiola Mia 2004. 504 Korpiola, Mia 2007 p. 168. 505 The attitudes of the Swedish early modern nobility towards female property rights and misalliances have been discussed in Korpiola, Mia 2007 and Ågren, Maria 2009 pp. 2840. Diagram2 Disputes over Family Law with Parties from the Nobility Marriage and betrothal (incl. fornication) Morning gifts Inheritance and wills Other disputes about family law A B C D A B C D Marriage and Betrothal
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