Meaning of """"legally capable""""

[Ken Olofson]

I was reading Rötters Important Years in Swedish History and found the following:
 
1856 An unmarried woman could be declared  
     legally capable by a court at age 25.
 
1861 Unmarried women were legally capable at age
     25.
 
1920 Married women were declared legally capable.
 
Could someone define the term legally capable for me?
 
Tack så mycket

[Chris Bingefors]

Legally capable is pretty much of age ie she was allowed to decide for herself in business or her own money for example.

[Anna-Carin Betzén]

The Swedish word that's been (mis?)translated into legally capable is myndig, and my dictionary suggests these translations:  
 
to be (or come) of age, attain one's majority, be legally competent

[Ingela Martenius]

Also: being allowed to decide for herself when and whom to marry. Before women became myndiga they were not allowed to marry without the express permission of their giftorättsman - marriage permission man; this was their closest male relative (father, brother, uncle, cousin) - regardless of age.
 
It must also be noted that one category of women has always been myndig: widows.
 
Ingela