I have recently received a copy of a will of a great great uncle and hope someone on one of the lists can interpret one phrase in the will for me. The will leaves a number of legacies to named relatives and provides that if any of those specific legatees predeceased the testator then the legacy which would have been paid to the predeceaser had he or she survived should be payable to his or her heirs "in mobilibus according to the law of Scotland". Does this phrase referring to "in mobilibus" mean that the legacy should go to the next of kin who would inherit chattels, money etc on an intestacy i.e. inherit all except land (I am aware that there were and perhaps still are different laws in Scotland for inheritance of land interests and of other property (what we would sometimes refer to here as immovables and movables)? What were the rules for determining who were the "heirs in mobilibus" when at least one of the legatees was a spinster (a niece of the testator). The will was made in Edinburgh on 21 September 1929, the witnesses being a solicitor and law clerk from Glasgow. The testator, John Russell CUTHILL, was described as "formerly Director of Beath Schiess and Company Limited, Melbourne in the State of Victoria Australia and presently residing at Bruntsfield Hotel Edinburgh Scotland". He must have died not long after as Probate of the will was granted in Victoria Australia and a sworn statement of assets and liabilities dated April 1931 was filed in the Supreme Court of Victoria. He seems to have died outside Victoria and probably in either Scotland or England. He left a widow Vera (maiden name not known), his third wife, and no surviving children. Legacies included a legacy to the vicar of Edinbridge, Kent where a daughter Elison Cuthil was buried and expressed a wish to be buried there. Others mentioned in the will include: (a) Ada LECKIE and Milly LECKIE, residing in the care of Dr Granger 20 James Street Bridgeton Glasgow - these will be relatives of his first wife Isabella McKenzie LECKIE (b) Vernon DODD and Muriel DONN of 403 Malvern Road Hawkeburn Victoria Australia - relatives of the second wife Adelaide Ballantyne DODD (c) Margaret McCALLUM residing in Glasgow, a niece, daughter of the testator's deceased sister Margaret (Margaret McCaallum was my maternal grandfather's sister - born in Helensburgh Dunbartonshire) (d)nephews James Crawford CUTHILL and John Bell CUTHILL, sons of his deceased brother William CUTHILL of Beechwood, Uddingston, Lanarkshire, Scotland (e)sister Elison DOWNS residing at 10 Govanhill Street, Govanhill Glasgow Scotland (f) niece Ella NISBET, daughter of Elison DOWNS, residing at21 Loney Crescent Denny Stirlingshire Scotland Has anyone on the lists come across these people or have any connection with any of them. Any information on the Cuthills, or on Elison Downs or Ella Nisbet would be very welcome. Also any information as to when and where John Russell CUTHILL died. Lesley Instone Invercargill New Zealand