Creating Virtual Families? The Bequeathing Practices of Childless Single and Widowed Testators in 1951 and 2000 in Ireland

Abstract

This article is drawn from my PhD dissertation, which explores bequeathing practices in the second half of the twentieth century in Ireland. In particular, this article compares the bequeathing practices of childless single and widowed people in Irish society in 1951 and 2000 through a qualitative analysis of probated wills to answer the questions: In the absence of spouses and children, to whom did they leave their property? Did bequeathing practices change in the fifty-year period during which Ireland underwent radical social and economic change? Contrary to Durkheim's prediction, testamentary dispositions revealed the enduring importance of extended family; childless single and widowed people created virtual families by bequeathing to siblings, nieces, nephews, and cousins in 1951 and this practice continued in 2000.