Modern readers of Pride and Prejudice often wonder why the Bennet sisters cannot inherit Longbourn, their father's estate. One common but incorrect explanation is that women in Regency England were not allowed to inherit property. Another explanation, the correct one, is that Longbourn is an entailed estate. But what is an entail, and does it always exclude women? Can Mr. Bennet do anything at all about the Longbourn entail? I answer these and other common questions about Austen's handling of property law in the video below:
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