Daily AncestorDevise
To devise means to give land or other real estate by will; the gift itself is also called a devise.
In a will, devise refers to real property: land, houses and other buildings. I devise my farm means the testator is leaving the land itself, not just goods.
The person who receives the land is the devisee. Many wills combine the verbs in give, devise and bequeath to cover both land and goods in one sentence.
As seen in a recordWill recorded in a county will book, 1800s
I devise unto my son John the plantation whereon I now live, containing 200 acres.
How to cite this page
Daily Ancestor. "Devise." Dictionary of Old Record Words. https://dailyancestor.com/dictionary/legal-land/devise. Last checked 2026-10-01.