The husband could, if he chose, establish a trusteeship, and thus give his wife the free use of her own.

But you can easily imagine that he did not very often do it.
A man could, also, devise property to his wife by will.

Often this was done, but too often the sons were made heirs, and the wife was left to what tender mercies they owned.

If a man died intestate the wife merely shared with other heirs.

She had no preference.
Under the old English common law, moreover, not only the property, but also the services of a married woman belonged to her husband.