Hello to all, Does anyone know what was the local custom for land inheritance on the I.W. before the Statute of Wills in 1540. I believe that before that date, real estate (land and buildings) could not be devised or willed. Before death, as long as it was not entailed, it could be sold or given; but on death it had to be distributed according to local custom. In many counties, this was by primogeniture (all to the eldest son); in Kent it was by ultimogeniture or Borough English (all to the youngest son); in some places it was by gavelkind (distributed equally between sons); if there were no sons, it was distributed equally between daughters. But what was the custom (before 1540) on the Isle of Wight? Many of our ancestors would not have written wills and, if they did, not mentioned real estate, because it would automatically have been distributed according to local custom. Individual cases might be found in manorial records. But the actual local custom was local law and I don't know where that was recorded. Does anyone know what was the local custom? I know that everyone is busy at this time of year; but I hope one of you experts can tackle the problem when you have time. Wishing you all a joyous Christmas Season and a most successful 2010. George Legge (Melbourne, Australia, where tomorrow's forecast is 39 degrees C. (102.2 degrees F.) and a north wind (which won't bring snow).