I've never felt I had a proper grasp on this so am hoping someone can set me straight:

1) At the start of the 20th cent., would an eldest son automatically inherit goods & land/house whether mentioned in a Will or not, if siblings were mentioned in bequests?

2) Could land/property that had been passed from father to eldest son through the generations be bequeathed to someone else instead or was it the eldest son's by right?

3) If there was no obvious direct heir would there be any requirement to find some other familial connection - as you see in the current TV programme 'Heir Hunters' - or could the house/farm be left in a Will to someone else entirely?

Thanks in advance to anyone who can offer any clarity!