In a message dated 4/14/99 7:25:29 PM Pacific Daylight Time, duanewin@gateway.net writes: << My understand of an "heir" is they are a surviving descendant of the ancestor entitled to inherit some part of the ancestors Estate if so stated !! please correct me if this is wrong ! >> Greetings. An "heir" is basically the person who inherits - "At common law, [an heir is] one who succeeds to either real [land] or personal property [ including money] of a decendent [the guy what died] who died intestate [without a will]." So says Ballentine's Law Dictionary. About twenty other definitions follow, tracking the more modern use of the term. For example, an heir "by devise" is one who inherits land [and sometimes other property] devised by will. Or, one may be an heir pursuant to a contract. And on and on. In short, the heir need not be a family member or connection at all, although it is certainly probable that he/she would be.