primogeniture

     Primogeniture was the custom in early modern England, and is often misunderstood, from what I read on the internet. Primogeniture meant that only the oldest son would inherit the estate. If there were other sons, they had to fend for themselves--enter the military, or marry a wealthy woman. They might have an income, but the house and lands would belong only to the oldest son, so that the farmland would not be divided when the head of the family died. At one time, all estates were landed estates--even church estates. The farms were worked by cottagers, who had small homes of their own, and who had a share in what they raised.  Prosperous farms meant a prosperous estate. Farms that were not taken care of fell into disrepair, and the estate sometimes wound up in ruins--through mismanagement.