A species of estate, or tenancy, which exists where lands of inheritance descend from thc ancestor to two or more persons. It urises in England either l*y common law or particular custom. By common law, as where a person, seised in fee-simple or fee-tall, dies, and his next heirs are two or more females, his daughters, sisters, aunts, cousins, or thelr representatives; In this case they all inherit, aud these co-helrs are then called “coparceners,” or, for brevity, “parceners” only. Lltt. $$ 241, 242; 2 Bl. Coram. 187. By particular custom, as where lands descend, as in gavelkind, to all the males in equal degree, as sons, brothers, uncles, etc. Litt. $ -65; 1 Steph. Comm. 319
Source: Black’s Law Dictionary 2nd Ed (1910)
