Page "Abeyance" Paragraph 1

The most common use of the term is in the case of English peerage dignities.

Most such peerages pass to heirs-male, but the ancient baronies created by writ, as well as some very old earldoms, pass instead to heirs-general ( by cognatic primogeniture ).

In this system, sons are preferred from eldest to youngest, the heirs of a son over the next son, and any son over daughters, but there is no preference among daughters: they or their heirs inherit equally.