Daily AncestorCurtesy
Curtesy was a widower's right to a life estate in his dead wife's land, usually only if they had a child born alive during the marriage.
Curtesy, also spelled courtesy, was the husband's counterpart to dower. When a wife who owned land died, her husband could keep it for his lifetime, typically if a child had been born to them.
After the husband died, the land went to the wife's heirs. The term explains why a widower might still control land that came from his wife's family. It is now outdated, as most states treat spouses alike.
As seen in a recordDeed recorded in a county deed book, 1800s
Jno. Weeks, tenant by the curtesy of the lands of his late wife Elizabeth.
How to cite this page
Daily Ancestor. "Curtesy." Dictionary of Old Record Words. https://dailyancestor.com/dictionary/legal-land/curtesy. Last checked 2026-10-01.