British Rights of Hereditary Entailment.

[Steve]

Very briefly the topic of the disposition of the Black Family estate
has appeared again.

Could someone who is knowledgable in European inheritance customs
explain 'Entailment' to me?

I do understand that it is a precedent the limit the disposition of
inheritance.

Entail - 2. To limit the inheritance of (property) to a specified
succession of heirs. 3. To bestow or impose on a person or a specified
succession of heirs. 


But I'm not clear whether this is a automatic standard of law, or if
at some point, some ancestory 'entails' the estate, and by that decree
controls the nature of inheritance for all subsequent generations. 

If there are no specific decrees or Wills to control the estate, does
the system of 'Entailment' become automatic, or just the opposite,
there is a other standard method of disposition that can only be
altered if at some point an Entailment was attached to the estate.

So, in general, I just want someone to explain to me how the system of
Entailment comes into the disposition of an estate.

Thanks.

bboy_mn