PORTIONERS any idea?

[nanville]

Has anyone come across this before and knows what it means?
Please help.

[ScouseBoy]

What is the context please?

[nanville]

It has something to do with land or property Scouseboy.

[*Sandra*]

According to dictionary of Scots language. - The proprietor of a small estate or piece of land resulting from the division of an original forty-merk land among co-heirs or otherwise, a small land-owner

http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/snd/portioner

Sandra

[josey]

An heir to part or portion of a heritable estate
http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/snd/portioner

Josey

SNAP Sandra - you type quicker than me 

[nanville]

Thanks all,
Does anyone know how the portioners got the land in the first place,did they buy it from a local authority,or was the land given to them by some other means?

[*Sandra*]

hereditary  ...........

http://www.rootschat.com/links/01iub/

Sandra

[josey]

Portioners existed long before local authorities. Land was leased from [fixed term rental] or feued from [bought but with perpetual conditions, including payment of a feu duty and reversion to the estate of conditions were not adhered to] or bought from [no conditions] the local estate. Feus and outright purchases [dispositions] became heritable property - ie able to be left in a will.  If the property was left to several people in shares [equal or not] they became 'heirs portioners'

Josey