How did wills work in times of Oscar Wilde?

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For our purposes, "coming of age" does not refer to legal majority (aged 21), but the ability to inherit free and clear, through the will (age 35).

"Guardian" may be the wrong word for Cecily after age 21, but under the terms of the will, Jack was the custodian of Cecily's assets until she turned 35. Meaning that he could withhold her money until then if she married the "wrong" man. Such terms were unusually strict even for their time; most such wills would specify age 25, or age 30, at the latest.

So the issue is not that Cecily needed Jack's consent to marry (after age 21), but that her inheritance would be delayed if she married against his wishes, which, presumably, would be reflective of her grandfather's. This was probably a device to force Cecily to marry the kind of man he (and Jack) favored. Only then would she get her inheritance before 35. If she waited till then, she would be an "old maid" and her marriage would be a moot point.

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