Question

In Jane Austen's time, the law dictated that a man’s property was inherited by his closest male heir instead of by the women in his family. What was this law known as? A. dowry B. entailment C. curtailment D. annulment E. alimony

Answer 1

Answer: B.) Entailment

Explanation: The term entailment in a legal parlance refers to the concept of succession whereby properties of the deceased is passed on his closest heir. The concept of entailment is usually employed in other to curb the dissociation or separation of the wealth of the deceased thus it is passed on the one male heir who is regarded as the closest to the deceased. Women are prohibited from inheriting usually due to the fact that there is a possibility of the property breaking up or falling into the hands of someone who is not in the family's bloodline.