72 



LAND OWNERSHIP AND PRACTICES 



objects of transfers of one kind orother — frequently 

 without written evidence — and disagreements as 

 to the nature of the transfers are easy and common. 



INHERITANCE 



The rules of inheritance are simple, but too 

 flexible to be easily stated. Land is usually the 

 most important property inherited. As a general 

 rule it is divided equally among all the cliildren, 

 male and female. But the parent may divide 

 his land wliile still living (the division to take 

 effect either before or after his death) in wliich 

 case the division may be unequal and a child may 

 even be disinherited. Since such divisions are 

 rarely made with full legal procedure, a disin- 

 herited son cognizant of his legal rights may still 

 get a share after liis father's death. However, 

 every child should get some of the land of his 

 parents; usually only one who has left town perma- 

 nently, or has fought seriously with the parents, 

 is deprived of his share. The shares should be 

 about equal, but sons are often favored over 

 daughters, and it is sometimes thought proper 

 that the eldest son get more than the others, 

 especially if family responsibilities come to him. 

 It is a rule, frequently broken, that the eldest 

 son inherits the house and house site of his father, 

 even though the division in terms of value is 

 even. The whole matter is complicated by the 

 frequent division of lands before the dcatli of the 



parents, and the separation from the family of 

 one or more sons who are then given all or part of 

 their inheritance whUe their parents still live. 

 Thus, the eldest son frequently builds his house 

 elsewhere; then when the parents die, a younger 

 son inherits the parents' house; thus if the parents 

 live long and several sons are set up independently, 

 there may even be a complete reversal of the rule 

 so that in practice the youngest one inherits the 

 homestead. 



What actually happens to land in the course of 

 two or three generations can be shown by a few 

 case histories." 



THE INHERITANCE OF HOUSEHOLD NO. 49 



Juan Yach had three children growing to 

 maturity: son Santos, daughter Tomasa, and 

 youngest son Nicolas (chart 12). Santos and 

 Tomasa received their inheritance when they 

 married, and when they died (before their father) 

 the land went to their children. Nicolas still lived 

 and worked with his father when the latter died, at 

 which time the land remaining came to Nicholas 

 without question. It consisted of two pieces: the 

 inherited house site of a little less than a half acre, 

 on which Nicolas continued to live; and a quarter- 

 acre piece on the river's edge which Nicolas had 

 helped his father buy in his later years. 



«3 .Summarized from fuller accounts in my microfilmed notes, especially 

 pp. 109-131. 



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Chart 12. — Genealogical reference to the inheritance of household No. 49. 



