how did inheritance work with polygamy?

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_fubecabr
_Emeritus
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how did inheritance work with polygamy?

Post by _fubecabr »

What happened to harems when the horndog died? Did the first wife get all the assets? Were assets evenly split between the sister wives? Divided in accordance with # of children and/or length of marriage? Were many of the women and children left destitute?

Looks like a convoluted mess. Yet another good argument against polygamy.
_Yoda

Re: how did inheritance work with polygamy?

Post by _Yoda »

fubecabr wrote:What happened to harems when the horndog died? Did the first wife get all the assets? Were assets evenly split between the sister wives? Divided in accordance with # of children and/or length of marriage? Were many of the women and children left destitute?

Looks like a convoluted mess. Yet another good argument against polygamy.


ROFL! I spit Pepsi out all over the screen reading your opening line! ;)

I would actually be curious as to how this worked as well. Anyone with a solid knowledge of the times know?
_Trinity
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Post by _Trinity »

"By his death on 23 August 1877, Brigham Young had married fifty-five wives. Nineteen had predeceased him, ten had received divorces, four are unaccounted for, and twenty-three survived him. Seventeen wives received a share of his estate while the remaining six apparently had nonconjugal roles." (Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought, ("Defining ‘Wife’: The Brigham Young Households," by Jeffrey Johnson, 1987, Vol. 20, No. 3, p.62)



"It was finally determined that his estate was worth approximately $1,626,000, but obligations of more than a million dollars to the Church plus other debts and executor's fees reduced the family's claim to $224,000. When seven of his dissatisfied heirs challenged this settlement, however, that matter was settled out of court and the Church agreed to give the heirs an additional $75,000." (The Story of the Latter-day Saints, by James Allen and Glen Leonard, second ed. 1992, Deseret Book, p.385)



"During the three years’ presidency of the council of the twelve [after the death of Pres. Young] the affairs of the church quite generally were prosperous. Some difficulty arose, however, in the matter of settling the estate of the late President Brigham Young. Some claims were made by a number of the late president’s heirs respecting the possession of property that President Young held for the church as trustee-in-trust. It was alleged by them that President Young died seized of an estate valued at two and a half millions of dollars. This, however, was denied by his executors, and also by President John Taylor...that the property to which Brigham Young held the legal right or title was not worth over $1,626,000; and further they affirmed, that much of said estate was held by the testator in trust for the Church...and that Brigham Young was largely indebted at the time of his death 'and justly owed to said church over $1,000,000.’ " (Comprehensive History of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, vol. 5, by B. H. Roberts, p.524-525, BYU Press 1965)
"I think one of the great mysteries of the gospel is that anyone still believes it." Sethbag, MADB, Feb 22 2008
_truth dancer
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Post by _truth dancer »

In several cases in which I am aware (the only ones of which I know), the women lived in abject poverty, with virtually no support by their husbands even when they were alive.

Imagine the average worker (not wealthy religious leaders who had plenty to spare), trying to suport several wives and dozens of children.

I doubt there was much to inherit. :-(

~dancer~
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