Changes to Inheritance Laws Under the Normans

How did the Normans change inheritance?

The Anglo-Saxons traditionally divided the estates of a dead man amongst his sons. This meant that estates became smaller and smaller, and sometimes led to conflict between family members. The Normans changed inheritance laws.

What did the Normans change about inheritance law?

The Normans made five important changes to inheritance.

• ❖ The Normans introduced male primogeniture, where the eldest son inherited all the lands of the father. This helped to keep estates intact.
• ❖ When a man died without an heir his lands returned to the lord, who could keep it or grant it to another of his followers.
• ❖ If an heir was under-age, the lord took over the land until the heir was of age. He could enjoy the revenue of the land until that time.
• ❖ Widows came under the control of the lord or king. He could arrange a new marriage for her, often to one of his followers, who then gained the land.
• ❖ If the deceased only had daughters, they came under the control of the lord or king. He could arrange their marriage to one of his followers, who then gained the land.