In his early 19th century will, a Maryland ancestor appears to disinherit a daughter when he leaves everything to her two children and appoints a guardian for them.
The man writing the will might have not so much been disinheriting the daughter as he was avoiding a son-in-law. In the very early 1800s, when this will was written, a man would be able to exercise control over real property that his wife inherited. By leaving the real estate to his daughter’s children, and appointing a guardian, the testator was providing for the children while circumventing the son-in-law.
And you thought that only people today who had to use creative ways to get around things.
Help support Genealogy Tip of the Day by visiting any of the following sites:
- Try a GenealogyBank Genealogy Search to see what you find.
- Newspapers.com
- AncestryDNA offers
- Books on Michael’s Genealogy Shelf