On this day in 1777, Georgia formally adopted a new state constitution and became the first U.S. state to abolish the inheritance practices of primogeniture and entail. Primogeniture ensured that the eldest son in a family inherited the largest portion of his father’s property upon the father’s death. The practice of entail, guaranteeing that a landed estate remain in the hands of only one male heir, was frequently practiced in conjunction with primogeniture.

Mary P. Turner of Marble Falls, Texas hand pieced and hand quilted this String Star quilt around 1890. Mary and her husband George were prosperous and after both of their sons died, their granddaughter Nellie P. Turner, became the sole heir to her grandparents’ estate.

This quilt was documented during the Texas Quilt Search Project and is included in the book Lone Stars: A Legacy of Texas Quilts, Vol. I, 1836-1936, by Karoline Patterson Bresenhan and Nancy O’Bryant Puentes (Austin: University of Texas Press,1986.) It was included in an exhibition by the same name at the Texas State Capitol Rotunda, in Austin, Texas April 19-21, 1986

View this quilt on The Quilt Index to find out! Read more about its history, design and construction. Be sure to use the zoom tool for a detailed view or click the “See full record” link to see a larger image and all the data entered about that quilt.

Source:
Excerpted from http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/georgia-constitution-abolishes-primogeniture-and-entail

Posted by Amy E. Milne
Executive Director, Quilt Alliance
amy.milne@quiltalliance.org