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Marriage contracts which stipulated dowry procedures in nine out of ten cases, in the central Pyrenean area under the Ancien Régime, were an essential act of this non-egalitarian society as it publicly indicated which child will be the only heir in charge of the house, while at the same time pointing out those to be excluded from the inheritance. With the introduction of the 1804 Civil Code and the promulgation of kinship equality among children, marriage contracts are still highly valued even though some marriages do not call upon notary help. Still, these contracts remain a socio-professional marker for farmer families. Nevertheless, within the context of migration, and faced with the challenge of attitude changes towards younger girls, the marriage contract tends to include other functions such as the provision of better living conditions for the young girls. This also includes providing for the girls who were part of the family, whether they marry within or without the villages. The dowry, which varies from one junior girl of the family to another, shows that the figure depends on the family story, the local story and the regional story. By the end of the nineteenth century, this figure was calculated in a way to preserve the family entity as well as the affective bonds all geared at perpetuating the family.