From what I have read from the many probate and guardian records if children who were under the age of majority and inherited property a guardian was appointed for them. It was not always their mother. Most of the time it was not their mother. Women were not thought of as capable of handling money. Remember they did not even have the right to vote. When my great grandfather JAMES WRIGHT died he left his farm to his children not his wife. All farm supplies were sold off. One of the reasons was so that the widow would have money to live on. She was not expected to run the farm. My great grandmother REBECCA RENFROW WRIGHT was too old to do so anyway. She lived in her home with her younger daughter and son in law. The guardian appointed for my great grandmother, guess she was not right in her mind, paid the daughter from the fruits of the sale, for taking care of her mother and the daughter then paid her guardian for the rent on the house. This was all done through the guardian. The guardian had to submit all of these records every year to the court. I can only find, so far, only one deed where 1/8th of this farm was sold. One son, HUGH WRIGHT, sold his 1/8th to his brother in law WILLIAM ORRICK before REBECCA RENFROW WRIGHT died. Now how can one buy 1/8th of a farm? Where does that 1/8th place in the 144 acre! s that were left to the 8 then know alive children? In the deed it only gave the boundaries of the whole 144 acres. Also what about the house for it was never mentioned in the will? But all of the property must have been sold after Rebecca died in 1901. I have deeds for another son of James and Rebecca. His name was William WRIGHT who married Elizabeth BRIDGES. He had other land not inherited from his father. He would put this land up for collateral off and on to people he owed money too. A lot of times to a DR. When this would happen and when he sold some of this land the records would show that ELIZABETH would be questioned with WILLIAM not in the room if she was going along with this of her own free will. Why did this happen? Was it because William established a "HOME STEAD" for his farm. Does anyone know anything about this law that went into effect sometime in the late 1800's in TN.? Or was it because she may of inherited this land from her father and it was really hers? ABOUT VOTING. I read someplace that in KY if a husband died then the widow could vote in his place for public elections. Does anyone know anything about this law? Julia