Abstract:

The article is devoted to the analysis of the evolution of the property rights of women nobles in the late 17th and first half of the 18th centuries. This process was carried out gradually. The decree of Peter I of 1714 enhanced the capacity of women nobles to dispose of land and peasants. However, this document did not take into account many aspects of the property rights of women of privileged class. The article also covers the decrees of Catherine I of 1725 and Anna Ioannova of 1731 on the subject. Based on the data from the State Archives of the Tulregion, the author concludes that despite the limited property rights of women nobles, they actively participated in economic life — selling and buying land holdings and peasants. Married women were less likely to be involved in these operations than widows.

Keywords: women, nobility, property, Tula Province, right