The Danish public trustee (overformynderi) managed inheritance for underage heirs. The function lay at the county office, so these records are found in collections from the county offices. Below is an example of a public trustee record from Nyborg-Tranekær County.
- Year 1732 on 20 February, a probate was held after deceased colonel Rubeck Kaas of Nedergaard at Langeland, who left behind means of 8368 Rdr. 1 Mark to be shared between the widow and two children, of which sum was agreed and by the mother accepted for the children 6300 Rdr., namely
- Aatte [Otto] Ditlev Kaas 10½ years old / 4200 Rdr.
- Margrethe Kaas 8½ years old / 2100 Rdr. …
- For the daughter … the sum 2100 Rdr. and the interests to date have been paid to her husband Mr. Captain Bülow on 11 June 1744 …
- Otto Ditlef Kaas has on 2 October 1744 renounced his sum and the interests …1
The probate record book from Nyborg-Tranekær County for 1710-1735 has been lost.2 The public trustee records are a great substitute.
Daughters inherited half as much as sons, but from 1845 parents could decide that daughters should inherit the same amounts as sons. In 1858, the law was changed so that daughters and sons inherited equal amounts.
Footnotes
- Nyborg-Tranekær Amt (Denmark), "Nyborg-Tranekær Amter: Overformynderiprotokol," 1716-1761, pages 30-31, inheritance after Rubeck Kaas (20 February 1732); filed in box 28: 1716-1799 Overformynderiprotokol, collection AB016: Nyborg-Tranekær Amt, Landsarkivet for Fyn.
- "Daisy," database with catalog of holdings, Rigsarkivet (https://www.sa.dk/daisy/arkivserie_detaljer?c=nyborg-tranek%C3%A6r+amt&d=1&e=2016&ngid=828274&ngnid=828276&heid=4033854&henid=4033854 : accessed 27 November 2019), arkivskaber: Nyborg-Tranekær Amt (1703-1799), arkivserie: Skifteprotokol (1703 - 1811).
