Every free man who held land had to be in a local tithing, usually about ten men, in which they served as personal sureties for each other's peaceful behavior [frankpledge]. If one of them were accused of an offense, the others had to produce him in court or pay for the offense, unless they could prove that they had no complicity in it. "And every man shall see that he has a surety, and this surety shall bring and keep him to [the performance of] every lawful duty. 1. And if anyone does wrong and escapes, his surety shall incur what the other should have incurred. 2. If the case be that of a thief and his surety can lay hold of him within 12 months, he shall deliver him up to justice, and what he has paid shall be returned to him." Only a priest could declare a marriage. The groom had to bring friends to his wedding as sureties to guarantee his oath to maintain and support his wife and children. Those who swore to take care of the children were called their "godfathers". "No woman or maiden shall be forced to marry a man she dislikes or given for money." "Violence to a widow or maiden is punishable by payment of one's wergeld." No man shall have more wives than one. No man may marry among his own kin within six degrees of relationship or with the widow of a man as nearly related to him as that, or with a near relative of his first wife's, or his god-mother, or a divorced woman. Incest is punishable by payment of one's wergeld or a fine or forfeiture of all his possessions. Grounds for divorce were mutual consent or adultery or desertion. Adultery was prohibited for men as well as for women. Prostitutes shall be driven out of the land or destroyed in the land, unless they cease from their wickedness and make amends to the utmost of their ability. Neither husband nor wife could sell family property without the consent of the other. If there was a marriage agreement, it determined the wife's "dower", which would be hers upon his death. Otherwise, if a man who held his land in socage [owned it freely and not subject to a larger landholder] died before his wife, she got half this property. If there were minor children, she got all this property. Inheritance of land to adult children was by the custom of the land held. In some places, the custom was for the oldest son to take it and in other places, the custom was for the youngest son to take it. Usually, the sons each took an equal portion by partition, but the eldest son had the right to buy out the others as to the chief messuage [dwelling and supporting land and buildings] as long as he compensated them with property of equal value. If there were no legitimate sons, then each daughter took an equal share when she married. In London, one-third of the personal property of a decedent went to his wife, one-third went to his children in equal shares, and one-third he could bequeath as he wished.