This collection of essays presents the work of the late Michael Sheehan on the social and legal realities of medieval marriages and family life. Evidence drawn from records of church courts is juxtaposed with statements of canon and civil law of medieval Europe, thus throwing light on the way marriage and family life both influenced and was influenced by evolving definitions of law. The role of women in medieval social and economic life is a major theme, or underlying sub-theme, of these articles.