Appendix B

Summary of Notes on Land Inheritance

1. Most men go to great lengths to ensure that they have children to survive them. Even the childless often take a child from a close kinsman and bring it up as their own. Rarely does a man die without having children to act as his heirs (Stirling, 1957).

2. There were no bachelors over the age of about 23 in the villages in which he worked, and very few land owning childless couples with no hopes of having children (Stirling, 1957).

3. The land normally remains the property of the head of a household till he dies. His sons stay in the household and work it with him therefore people hardly ever own land before their father is dead (Stirling, 1957).

4. Sometimes sisters may be given a share of land if, for example, there is plenty of land (Stirling, 1957).

5. He never heard of anyone in the village suggesting that a widower₂ would not be fully entitled to any land his wife might have owned, though legally, like a widow he is only entitled to a quarter, or the use & enjoyment of half, if his wife's children survive her.(Stirling, 1957).