"Niece" in 1729

[ElizabethHerts]

I have a will written in 1729 which is helping me determine relationships. The testator refers to his "niece's children", but I don't think she is the daughter of one of his siblings.

I have read that it could mean "grandaughter". Is there any other relationship it could be as well?

[vita]

Census Confusions - www.census-helper.co.uk>census-confusions - says archaic usage

of 'niece' simply meant a female who wasn't in the immediate family group. Don't know if

that's any help at all, Elizabeth.

[kiterunner]

I've seen "nephew" on a much more recent Scottish death registration when it was actually the husband of a great-niece. Back in the 18th century it could just mean a younger female relative of some kind.

[ElizabethHerts]

Thanks, Vita and Kate. Some of the terms are used loosely.

However, in this will the testator uses the term grandson correctly, and also niece correctly for one of his brother's daughters.

This should be easy, but it's not. I'm trying to untangle all the Ayling relationships. I must have transcribed 50 or so wills for this family, but some of the connections still elude us, and we are making a lot of the connections through the relationships in wills and land transfers.