elizabeth murray homepage masthead

Menu:

Historical Dictionaries

History Today

Oxford Dictionaries Online

American Heritage Dictionary Online

Dictionary.com

Will

A will is a legal document which describes how a person wishes to see his or her property distributed after death. In the colonial period, many people died intestate -- or, without a will -- and many others had no right to make a will. Married women were legally prohibited from making a will, unless they had a prenuptial agreement that allowed them to do so.