Where a woman, after the death of her husband, claims dower in any houses, lands, or tenements within the borough, in a case where they are kept from her possession the custom of the borough allows her to bring an action by writ of dower before the bailiffs in the borough court. Through such a suit, process, and judgement, as are used in such cases for recovery of dower under common law, she shall have a trial, recovery, and assignment [of those properties]. Such processes shall be returned by the sergeants-at-mace, or by one of them, into the court before the bailiffs, and will remain a matter of record in perpetuity, by the custom of the borough.

[The four town sergeants were responsible for issuing summonses of parties implicated in a complaint and for reporting at the next court session of the execution of those summonses; this "return of process" initiated the judicial hearing on the matter.]