TAILZIE Meaning and
Definition
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Tailzie is a legal term commonly used in Scottish law, specifically pertaining to the practice of entailing land or property. It refers to a legal arrangement that restricts the inheritance or transfer of a property to a specific line of descendants, usually within a particular family. The purpose of a tailzie is to ensure the continued ownership, preservation, and succession of the property, often with the aim of maintaining its landed status or securing a particular familial legacy.
Under a tailzie, the property owner, known as the "superior," establishes specific conditions or stipulations for the inheritance of the property. These conditions typically involve designating a series of successive heirs, typically in a fixed order and by primogeniture, which means that the eldest surviving child would inherit the property. The tailzie may also define limitations on the future sale, subdivision, or disposition of the property to maintain its integrity and prevent its dispersal.
Tailzie arrangements were historically popular in Scotland during the feudal era and were widely used until the abolition of feudal tenure in the early 2000s. The purpose of tailzies was to preserve the hereditary nature of land ownership and prevent it from being sold or alienated outside of a particular family line. However, tailzies were gradually weakened by legal reforms and eventually abolished by the Abolition of Feudal Tenure (Scotland) Act 2000, which ended the mandatory nature of tailzie provisions.
In summary, a tailzie is a legal arrangement in Scottish law used to preserve and control the transfer of land or property through successive generations within a specific family, thereby securing its lineage and preventing its alienation.
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In Scot. law, the term corresponding with the Eng. word entail; any deed by which the legal course of inheritance is cut off and an arbitrary one substituted.
Etymological and pronouncing dictionary of the English language. By Stormonth, James, Phelp, P. H. Published 1874.
Common Misspellings for TAILZIE
Etymology of TAILZIE
The word "Tailzie" has Scots origin and is derived from the Old French term "taillage", which means "a cutting". It entered the Scots language in the 14th century and originally referred to the act of cutting or carving. Over time, it came to specifically denote the practice of limiting inheritance to a single heir, particularly in relation to land. In Scotland, a "tailzie" (or "entail") was a legal instrument that imposed restrictions on the transfer of property, ensuring that it remained within a particular family line and could not be sold or otherwise disposed of. The word "Tailzie" is primarily associated with Scottish feudal law and land ownership practices.
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