Gavelkind

In England, all lands unsettled descend to the eldest son, as heir-at-law, unless otherwise disposed of by the father's will, except in the county of Kent, where a particular custom prevails, called Gavelkind; by which, if the father dies intestate, all his children divide his lands equally among them.

Complete Project Gutenberg Earl of Chesterfield Works Philip Dormer Stanhope Chesterfield 1733

In England, all lands unsettled descend to the eldest son, as heir-at-law, unless otherwise disposed of by the father's will, except in the county of Kent, where a particular custom prevails, called Gavelkind; by which, if the father dies intestate, all his children divide his lands equally among them.

Letters to His Son on the Art of Becoming a Man of the World and a Gentleman, 1752 Philip Dormer Stanhope Chesterfield 1733

In England, all lands unsettled descend to the eldest son, as heir-at-law, unless otherwise disposed of by the father’s will, except in the county of Kent, where a particular custom prevails, called Gavelkind; by which, if the father dies intestate, all his children divide his lands equally among them.

Letters to his son on The Art of Becoming a Man of the World and a Gentleman 2005

The law respecting _felons_ is the same, unless it be worth recording that a remarkable exception exists in favour of Gavelkind lands, which, even though the ancestor be hanged, are not forfeited for felony.

The Mirror of Literature, Amusement, and Instruction Volume 19, No. 544, April 28, 1832 Various

[18] _Gavelkind_, or the practice of dividing lands equally among all the male children of the deceased, was (according to Spelman,) adopted by the

Microcosmography or, a Piece of the World Discovered; in Essays and Characters John Earle

History of Gavelkind and other remarkable Customs in the County of Kent_.

Notes and Queries, Number 65, January 25, 1851 Various

And also in Gavelkind according to the custom [of Kent] the younger brother shall have as much as the elder; and yet one brother shall recover against the other brother by right "De rationabile parte," and by the "Nuper obiit," which are writs at common law.

The Customs of Old England

Gavelkind, however, could be but a temporary provision.

The Customs of Old England

Sandys, _History of Gavelkind_, 1851, pp. 5 and 150.

On The Structure of Greek Tribal Society: An Essay 1906

Under the system of Gavelkind equal division of property amongst sons obstinately held its own against the incursions of the right of primogeniture; and the connection of the family with their land seems to have been regarded as especially privileged in spite of the growth of Feudalism.

On The Structure of Greek Tribal Society: An Essay 1906