Daily AncestorRemainder
A remainder is a future right to land that begins when an earlier estate ends, such as a son's right to land after his mother's life estate.
A remainder is created in the same deed or will that sets up an earlier, shorter estate, most often a life estate. When that estate ends, the land passes to the remainderman.
A typical case is a will leaving land to a widow for life, then the remainder to a child, who takes possession only when the widow dies. A remainder differs from a reversion, where the land goes back to the grantor.
As seen in a recordWill, 1800s
to my wife Polly during her natural life, and at her death the remainder to my son Jno.
How to cite this page
Daily Ancestor. "Remainder." Dictionary of Old Record Words. https://dailyancestor.com/dictionary/legal-land/remainder. Last checked 2026-10-10.