Primogeniture:
Law during the 18th century which dictated that the firstborn son would inherit the entire estate from his parents after their death. This was strictly a male dominated time period, which would imply that the female had no right to the land even after her husbands death.
If no children are present, the land would go to relatives, in order of seniority. Children of deceased older siblings would be considered over younger living siblings. Primogeniture entitles the oldest male to the totality of the inheritance.
Wuthering Heights 