Some of the other press accounts of the law case involving the dispute over Mrs Massey Mainwaring's will show that the family was what would today be called dysfunctional. The saga would provide sufficient elements for a lengthy Gothic novel. Why her family didn't put her money into trusts and appoint independent trustees is one of the mysteries which will never be solved. Although the Married Women's Property Act of 1882 resolved many problems, William Massey Mainwaring already had control of her money and, as there is evidence to show he was a very controlling person, the same result may have occurred even if she legally retained control of her own inheritance.
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