Magna Carta: A Mixed Picture

There were chapters in the charter saying that widows on the death of their husbands are to receive their lands and inheritances. And so there were large numbers of merry widows enjoying larger states in 13th century England. On the other hand, it's a mixed picture, with women on a lower level than men when making accusations of serious crime. The consequences of those accusations if made by women are less than if they are made by men. Magna Carta reaches out to a much broader constituency than just the baronial elite.