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From: "Family Tree Bookshop" <>
Subject: Re: [LDR] Dorothy Marriott Waters - colonial inheritance laws
Date: Wed, 20 Nov 2002 12:01:40 -0500
References: <20021120.095455.-868193.0.IDCheek@juno.com>


Dear Ida:
I believe that the eldest natural son of the father would be the one
to inherit all--if the father died intestate--as he would be "the heir at
law." Probably the best example is good ole George Washington who was
eldest son of a 2nd marriage and who stood to inherit little if anything.
The heir at law was his half-brother Lawrence--who died of illness and thus
George came into Mount Vernon.
Hope this helps a bit.
<<<Neil>>>
www.familytreebookshop.com
featuring abstracts so thorough, the dead come to life

----- Original Message -----
From: "Ida W Cheek" <>
To: <>
Sent: Wednesday, November 20, 2002 9:54 AM
Subject: [LDR] Dorothy Marriott Waters - colonial inheritance laws


> In reviewing documentation on a lawsuit concerning Dorothy 's brother ,
> there is mention of her oldest son William Waters. My research indicates
> that William might be the son of a previous wife. When inheritance laws
> were applied in the colonial era, would a stepson have been treated
> equally with natural born sons or would the eldest natural born son be
> the one in line to inherit? There were other children in this case and
> I've been trying to determine if Dorothy was the mother or if one of the
> previous wives was actually William Waters mother. Thanks for any light
> you can shed on this subject.
>
> Ida Waters cheek
>
>
> ==== LOWER-DELMARVA-ROOTS Mailing List ====
> Handley's Eastern Shore Genealogy Project:
> http://www.tyaskin.com/handley/
>
>

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