Dower & Land Allotment Extracts, Harlan Kentucky
Southeastern Kentucky Genealogy & History
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Dower & Land Allotments Book
Harlan County, Kentucky©
from issue II/3 of Harlan Footprints
extracted & annotated by Holly Timm

In the past, when a married man died, his widow was entitled to a certain portion of his estate for her lifetime as a means of support, her dower. The exact details of the amount allowed the widow varied over time. Generally it was a percentage of the estate although there were usually minimums guaranteed her. On a very small estate, the widow might get it all. Most of the dower allotments are buried in the deed books, often escaping notice or recording until the land is sold many years later. During a brief period around the turn of the century, twenty-two of these land divisions were recorded in the DIVISION OF LAND AND ALLOTMENT OF DOWER BOOK in the Harlan County Court Clerk's office.

Below are brief descriptions and links to extracts of all the land divisions recorded in this book with the surnames indicated (surnames in italics were surveyors, commissioners and others not dircetly involved in the receipt of the land itself). These pages will also contain additional information about the family or situation referred to in the division. As always, additional information is not only welcome but encouraged - please email Holly Timm at [email protected].

 

 

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