The Collaborative International Dictionary
Gavelkind \Gav"el*kind`\, n. [OE. gavelkynde, gavelkende. See
Gavel tribute, and Kind, n.] (O. Eng. Law)
A tenure by which land descended from the father to all his
sons in equal portions, and the land of a brother, dying
without issue, descended equally to his brothers. It still
prevails in the county of Kent.
--Cowell.
Wiktionary
n. (context historical English) a system of inheritance associated with the county of Kent in England whereby, at the death of a tenant, intestate estate is divided equally among all his sons; also, a similar system employed in Ireland
Wikipedia
Gavelkind was a system of land tenure associated chiefly with the county of Kent, but also found in Ireland and Wales and some other parts of England. Its inheritance pattern is a system of partible inheritance, which bears resemblance to Salic patrimony: as such, it might testify in favour of a wider, probably ancient Germanic tradition. Under this law, land was divided equally among sons or other heirs.
Over the centuries, various acts were passed to degavel individual manors but, in England and Wales, it was the Administration of Estates Act 1925 that finally abolished the custom.