Ultimogeniture, also known as postremogeniture or junior right, is the tradition of inheritance by the last-born of the entirety of a parent's wealth, estate or office. The tradition has been far rarer historically than primogeniture, inheritance by the first-born. Inheritance is the practice of passing on property, titles, debts, and obligations upon the death of an individual. ... Parenting comprises all the tasks involved in raising a child to an independent adult. ... Wealth derives from the old English word weal, which meant well-being or welfare. The term was originally an adjective to describe the possession of such qualities. ... Estate may refer to: Estate (law), a term used in common law to signify the total of a persons property, entitlements and obligations Immovable Property, Real Estate or Real Property Estate (house) may mean the grounds surrounding any very large property, such as a country house or mansion Estate... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ...

Ultimogeniture serves the circumstances where the youngest is "keeping the hearth", taking care of the parents and continuing at home, whereas elder children have had time to succeed "out in the world" and provide for theselves. Remembering the usual age at death, the system has been relatively impractical during past centuries. Ultimogeniture has been more suitable to rulers who have ruled already for several decades and are leaving children who are more or less all adults.

In Mediaeval England, the principle of patrilineal ultimogeniture (i.e. inheritance by the youngest surviving male child) was known as Borough-English. In 1327, a court case found it to be the tradition in the borough of Nottingham, whereas in areas influenced by Anglo-Norman culture, primogeniture was prevalent. The tradition was also found across many rural areas of England where lands were held in tenure by socage. It also occurred at copyhold manors in Surrey, Middlesex, Suffolk and Sussex. The Middle Ages formed the middle period in a traditional schematic division of European history into three ages: the classical civilization of Antiquity, the Middle Ages, and modern times, beginning with the Renaissance. ... Royal motto (French): Dieu et mon droit (Translated: God and my right) Englands location (dark green) within the United Kingdom (light green), with the Republic of Ireland (blue) to its west Languages English Capital London Largest city London Area – Total Ranked 1st UK 130,395 km² Population – Total (mid... A borough is a local government administrative subdivision used in the Canadian province of Quebec, in some states of the United States, and formerly in New Zealand. ... Nottingham is a city (and county town of Nottinghamshire) in the East Midlands of England. ... Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... The term soke (in Old English: soc, connected ultimately with secan (to seek)), at the time of the Norman Conquest of England generally denoted jurisdiction, but due to vague usage probably lacks a single precise definition. ... At its origin in mediaeval England, Copyhold tenure was tenure of land according to the custom of the manor, the title deeds being a copy of the record of the manor court. ... Surrey is a county in southern England, part of the South East England region and one of the Home Counties. ... Middlesex is one of the 39 historic counties of England. ... Suffolk (pronounced SUF-fk) is a large traditional and administrative county in the East Anglia region of eastern England. ... Sussex is a traditional county in South East England corresponding roughly in area to the ancient Kingdom of Sussex. ...

In Kyushu and some other areas of Japan, property was traditionally by a modified version of ultimogeniture known as masshi souzoku. An estate was distributed equally among all sons, except that the youngest son received a double share as a reward for caring for their elderly parents in their last years. This tradition was prohibited by the Meiji legal code in the late nineteenth century. Kyushu region, Japan Kyushu (九州 kyūshū) is the third largest island of Japan and most southerly and westerly of the four main islands. ... See: Meiji Restoration, the revolution that ushered in the Meiji Era Meiji Era - the period in Japanese history when the Meiji Emperor reigned Emperor Meiji of Japan - Mutsuhito, the Meiji Emperor, who reigned during Meiji Era Meiji University - University in Tokyo. ...

Ultimogeniture seems also to have been practised in the Ancient Near East. In early Greek myths, kingship was conferred by marriage to a tribal nymph, who was selected by ultimogeniture or success in a race. [1] Some scholars have noted that many Biblical characters are described as youngest sons or daughters and have inferred a prehistoric ultimogeniture tradition in the Holy Land. [2] The Near East is a term commonly used by archaeologists and historians, less commonly by journalists and commentators, to refer to the region encompassing the Levant (modern Israel, Palestine, Jordan, Syria and Lebanon), Asia Minor (modern Turkey), Mesopotamia (Iraq and eastern Syria), and the Iranian Plateau (Iran, Afghanistan and western... Greek mythology comprises the collected legends of Greek gods and goddesses and ancient heroes and heroines, originally created and spread within an oral-poetic tradition. ... This article or section contains information that has not been verified and thus might not be reliable. ... The Bible (From Greek βιβλια—biblia, meaning books, which in turn is derived from βυβλος—byblos meaning papyrus, from the ancient Phoenician city of Byblos which exported papyrus) is the sacred scripture of Christianity. ...

Ultimogeniture was also traditional in Mongolia, where Genghis Khan passed the heart of the Mongol Empire to his fourth son, Tolui [3], and in areas of Myanmar and China, where it is traditional among by the Rawang and T'ring people for older sons to move away on reaching maturity and for only the youngest son to remain and inherit. [4] Genghis Khan (c. ... Mongol Empires largest extent coloured in blue. ... Tolui (also rendered Toluy, 1190–1232) was the youngest son of Genghis Khan by Börte. ... The Nung-Rawang people are an ethnic group who inhabit far northern Kachin State of Myanmar (Burma). ...

Disadvantages of ultimogeniture include the likelihood of children inheriting property which they are unable to control, and the prospect of elder siblings deprived of property potentially using their experience to unfairly wrest control of it.

Other methods of succession

There are several other ways to organize hereditary succession. Some examples of widely used methods of succession:

• Primogeniture
• Seniority
• Tanistry
• Degree of kinship, i.e proximity of blood
• Elective monarchy, election from among one family
• "Lottery"
• Rotation (Taking turns: seniority, tanistry, lottery and election are used and practical ways to organize rotation. Rotation may have aimed at some balance between branches of the House or the Clan.)
• Gavelkind

This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... In hereditary monarchies, particularly in more ancient or in more underdeveloped times, seniority was a much-used principle of order of succession. ... Tanistry (Irish/Gaeilge Tàinste;Scottish Gaelic: Tànaisteachd) was the office of heir-apparent, or second-in-command, among the royal dynastys of Ireland and her offshoot nations. ... Proximity or closeness in degree of kinship is one of the ways to determine succession based on genealogy. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... A lottery is a popular form of gambling which involves the drawing of lots for a prize. ... Gavelkind was a peculiar system of land tenure associated chiefly with the county of Kent, but found also in other parts of England. ...

See also

• Order of succession
• Succession laws

An order of succession is a formula or algorithm that determines who inherits an office upon the death, resignation, or removal of its current occupant. ... Introduction Succession laws are used for determining who will be the next heir to the throne of a kingdom, principality, etc. ...

References

• The Penguin Dictionary of British History, ed. Judith Gardiner
• Are the Japanese Selfish, Altruistic or Dynastic? Charles Yuji Horioka