Inheritance Law and Marriage Settlements in the 1600-1700s

[Koromo]

Have a look at Nottingham University's pages explaining historical documents:

http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/mss/learning/skills/deeds-depth/settlements.phtml

I highly recommend browsing around the site if you are trying to make sense of land transfers, lease and release, fines, recoveries, feoffments, etc.  It has helped me to understand the detail and procedure for properties which were shuffled around various family members a couple of centuries ago.

Cheers
Koromo

[Mamine]

Brilliant site! Many thx Koromo 

[MarkHunnibell]

I have a couple of 16th century wills where the eldest son was left one shilling and then everything else to the other surviving children.

In both cases the eldest son had already taken over the family farm.

The bequest of one shilling was to show that he wasn't being left out of the will and to make the father's intentions clear.

David

David
I am curious about your reply. When you say the purpose was to show he wasn't being left out, does that translate to?... "Bob is not being ignored in my will. I just don't like Bob and because it would not be good form, I will leave Bob the closest thing to nothing I can without creating the impression I am ignoring him."

I found a will that gives old land to first son (age 15) after he comes of age, money from sales of assets to second born, a daughter (age after she comes of age, and "a legacy of five shillings" to third born, a son (age 2).

Is he punishing that third born? Or did he receive something else before the testator died?

What would be the possible reasons for this?

Thanks in advance for any thoughts.

Mark