Legal term for land held jointly by man and wife. This form of tenure ensured that should the husband die first his wife could enjoy the estate until her death, rather than being subject to the whims of the heir. This could mean a long-lived widow frustrating the heir for many years. A further advantage of jointure was that it delayed, at least, the superior lord's right of *wardship. -
Cf. Dower
Dictionary of Medieval Terms and Phrases. Christopher Coredon with Ann Williams.