Comment by apaprocki

> In England during the sixteenth century it was common practice to make leases for a term of three lives or a period of 99 years. It is presumed to be upon the theory that the lease should last thru three generations as it has been common practice to accept thirty-three years as the span of a single generation.

https://archive.org/details/longtermlandlea00mcmigoog/page/n...