The position of women under Welsh law differed significantly to that of their Norman-English counterparts. A marriage for example, could be established in two basic ways.
The normal way was that the woman would be given to a man by her kin. The more unusual route was for the woman to elope with a man without the consent of her kin. In this case her kin could compel her to return, but only if she was still a virgin!
If the relationship lasted for seven years she had the same entitlements as would a woman wed the ‘normal’ way.