Heirloom

This article is about something passed from generation to generation. For plants, see heirloom plant. For other uses, see Heirloom (disambiguation).
Mementoes from a soldier's war service may become valued family heirlooms
Heirloom 1893 pocket watch with 18 carat gold case

In popular usage, an heirloom is something that has been passed down for generations through family members. Examples are a family bible, antiques, weapons or jewellery.[1]

The term originated with the historical principle of an heirloom in English law, a chattel which by immemorial usage was regarded as annexed by inheritance to a family estate. Loom originally meant a tool. Such genuine heirlooms were almost unknown by the beginning of the twentieth century.[2]

  1. ^ Taylor, Maureen A. (2003). Ancestry Magazine: Nov-Dec 2003. Ancestry Magazine. p. 35.
  2. ^  One or more of the preceding sentences incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Heirloom". Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 13 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 217.