The original poster mentioned a tontine being left in a will, if I remember correctly. I cannot see how that is compatible with the definition below which tallies with what I had always understood a tontine to be (from an Agatha Christie story I once read) Chris ...puzzled ----- Original Message ----- > "A speculative arrangement for raising money, whereby the persons > contributing to the sum raised receive in return an annuity divisible among > them during their lives, the whole of the annuity being receivable > ultimately by the last survivor for the remaining term of their life"

In message <015b01c405ef$8ad56520$e2d57ad5@ndfn8>, History Search <history.search@btopenworld.com> writes >The original poster mentioned a tontine being left in a will, if I remember >correctly. That hadn't impinged - yes, it is odd, but maybe this was a special arrangement for this particular (non-strict) tontine. Rather like the lease of three lives, which should have expired when the third died, but by normal convention could be extended by paying a small fee to a further life (or even lives) > >I cannot see how that is compatible with the definition below which tallies >with what I had always understood a tontine to be the definition is correct, and, as you say, should make it as a bequest impossible. >> "A speculative arrangement for raising money, whereby the persons >> contributing to the sum raised receive in return an annuity divisible >among >> them during their lives, the whole of the annuity being receivable >> ultimately by the last survivor for the remaining term of their life" -- Eve McLaughlin Author of the McLaughlin Guides for family historians Secretary Bucks Genealogical Society