In Thomas Hardy's books girls can inherit but not in Jane Austin's Pride and Prejudice girls do not inherit. What were the laws and when did they change?

I have to admit I haven't read either. Were the women in either married? divorced? widowed? That matters, as this explains.

Sorry, my mom accidently posted the question under my name. I am going to e-mail her your reply and see what she says. I have not read those books.

This is why a rich father would put property in trust for daughters. Then the freehold land belonged to the trustees and he would ensure that these were sensible, worldly individuals. It followed that, on marriage, the new husband did not get title to the land (or anything else in trust) but was tied by the trustees just as his wife was. Subject to the instructions in the trust deed written by the father the trustees had limits even on their own discretion. They could not transfer title to the husband because the deed provided only for a life interest for the daughter and provided for future generations in similar manner as beneficiaries.