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  1. #1
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    Default Laws regarding inheritance around 1817

    Hi, I’m wondering if anyone knows or knows where to look for information about what happened to money if there wasn’t a will in England around 1817.
    Did it automatically go to the widow or eldest son?
    Was there an age requirement?
    There may not have been property involved and it was unlikely anything was entailed. However there may have been money or investments.

  2. #2

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    No, it didn't automatically go to widows. They had to be specifically mentioned in a will. There's a summary on Wikipedia, in the introduction to the story about the 1882 Property ActHERE.

  3. #3
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    There's a document here...

    https://www.unswlawjournal.unsw.edu....09/36-2-11.pdf

    You should be able to find an administration (admon).

  4. #4
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    A much belated thank you.
    That document led me to the Statute of Distribution 1607, available here: https://nzlii.org/nz/legis/imp_act_18...22a23cic10309/ which was in effect until 1925.
    Which basically says that land would go to oldest son, but the rest would be divided so that the widow gets a third and the remainder is divided between the children.
    Elsewhere, it seems that children could inherit at eighteen, but until then a Trustee would handle the estate. In wills, Trustees are spelled out, not sure whether there was such a thing as Public Trustees back then to handle Intestacy cases.

  5. #5
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    Quote Originally Posted by Ambersand View Post
    A much belated thank you.
    That document led me to the Statute of Distribution 1607, available here: https://nzlii.org/nz/legis/imp_act_1...22a23cic10309/ which was in effect until 1925.
    Which basically says that land would go to oldest son, but the rest would be divided so that the widow gets a third and the remainder is divided between the children.
    Elsewhere, it seems that children could inherit at eighteen, but until then a Trustee would handle the estate. In wills, Trustees are spelled out, not sure whether there was such a thing as Public Trustees back then to handle Intestacy cases.
    Have you looked at Death Duty Registers at The National Archives? These record how an estate was distributed and what duty was paid to the government. In operation in 1817 when my ancestor died in Yorkshire. Lack of a will may be a problem, but it is worth checking. pwholt

  6. #6
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    Quote Originally Posted by pwholt View Post
    Have you looked at Death Duty Registers at The National Archives? These record how an estate was distributed and what duty was paid to the government. In operation in 1817 when my ancestor died in Yorkshire. Lack of a will may be a problem, but it is worth checking. pwholt
    Thanks for the tip. I hadn't heard about them so will chase that option up.

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