Subject: DEAD MAN'S PART
Resent-Date: Fri, 5 Feb 1999 19:22:14 -0800 (PST)
Resent-From: SCROOTS-L@rootsweb.com
Date: Fri, 05 Feb 1999 22:21:01 -0500
From: "Steven J. Coker" 
Reply-To: carolina@yours.com
Organization: http://www.scroots.org/
To: SCROOTS-L@rootsweb.com

Extracted From:
      A LAW DICTIONARY ..., SIXTH EDITION, 1856
      by John Bouvier
      CHILDS & PETERSON, PHILADELPHIA

DEAD MAN'S PART, English law. By the custom of London, when a deceased freeman
of the city left a widow and children, after deducting what was called the
widow's chamber, (q.v.) his personal property was divided into three parts; one
of which belonged to the widow, another to
the children, and the third to the administrator. When there was only a widow,
or only children, in either case they respectively took one moiety, and the
administrator the other; when there was neither widow nor child, the
administrator took the whole for his own use and this portion was called the
"dead man's part." By statute of 1 Jac. 2, c. 17, this was changed, and the dead
man's part is declared to be subject to the statute of distribution....

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