Daily AncestorHis heirs
His heirs in a deed or will is often a legal formula meaning full ownership that can pass on, not a list of actual living children.
Phrases such as to John Brown and his heirs and assigns forever were the traditional way to grant full ownership of land, a fee simple. They describe the type of ownership and do not prove John had any children.
Wording like the heirs of his body is different: it limited the land to his own descendants. Only when heirs are named individually does the record tell you who they were.
As seen in a recordDeed recorded in a county deed book, 1800s
Unto the said Jas. Fox, his heirs and assigns forever.
How to cite this page
Daily Ancestor. "His heirs." Dictionary of Old Record Words. https://dailyancestor.com/dictionary/relationships/his-heirs. Last checked 2026-10-01.