Renee l. Dauven wrote: "Always bearing in mind that assumptions are dangerous, that would be the most obvious reason. However, I would think that it might be tempered by the actual wording of the will. Does the testator leave anything to other grandchildren or does he only list his children? It may have been the testator's desire to just provide for his immediate family and not for the grandchildren. If he didn't mention ANY grandchildren then I would be more cautious about assuming that the deceased son had no children" Thanks for the responses to my question. I forgot to say the will I was asking about was written in 1776 (if that makes any difference). The will does not mention any grandchildren, only children. I will keep in mind that the son may have had children. Jim A. To subscribe, change options, or unsubscribe please see the instructions at http://listlva.lib.va.us/archives/va-roots.html