British Rights of Hereditary Entailment.

[bluesqueak]

> Steve (Bboy)
> 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. 
> 

It would depend on the wizarding legal system. It used to be 
possible to 'entail' the estate in perpetuity, but that is no longer 
the case. However, that happened after the WW split, so it depends 
on whether they changed it.

I don't think it was ever automatic - entails were mostly set up via 
a will. Sometimes they were associated with a noble title, and were 
set up with the grant of the title.

For example, most people will assume that a noble title in England 
goes in the male line only; but there are one or two titles which 
have rights of female inheritance.


> If there are no specific decrees or Wills to control the estate, 
> does the system of 'Entailment' become automatic, 

Nope. Quite the opposite. If there is no will or existing entail, 
the estate will be divided between surviving heirs. Children, 
brothers/sisters/ parents etc.
<Snip>
> 
> So, in general, I just want someone to explain to me how the 
> system of Entailment comes into the disposition of an estate.

If there *was* an entail on the Black house, it's broken *unless* it 
wasn't male specific. Sirius was the last of the Blacks - there are 
no male heirs left. Draco, as the son of a *female* Black, would not 
be in contention under a normal type of entail (which counts male 
inheritance only).

If it wasn't male specific, I think Mrs Malfoy is likely to be the 
legal heir, as the closest relative not on a wanted poster.

Pip!Squeak