Cresap v. Cresap

12 S.E. 527, 34 W. Va. 310, 1890 W. Va. LEXIS 82
CourtWest Virginia Supreme Court
DecidedDecember 6, 1890
StatusPublished
Cited by21 cases

This text of 12 S.E. 527 (Cresap v. Cresap) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering West Virginia Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Cresap v. Cresap, 12 S.E. 527, 34 W. Va. 310, 1890 W. Va. LEXIS 82 (W. Va. 1890).

Opinion

English, Judge:

This suit was brought by Agnes C. Cresap, executrix of the last will and testament of Charles J. P. Cresap, deceased, against the Bank of West Virginia of Clarksburg and others, alleging that said Charles J. P. Cresap departed this life in the month of August, 1886, largely indebted to the Bank of West Virginia of Clarksburg and others, to the plaintiff unknown, having on the 15th day of May, 1884, duly made his last will and testament, which was admitted to probate, and recorded in the office of the clerk of the County Court of the county of Randolph on the 25th of October, 1886; that said testator, at the time of his death, was seised of a large real and personal estate, and that the personal estate of said defendant was insufficient to pay the indebtedness aforesaid, and that it was necessary to subject certain real estate of which he died seised to sale, and apply the proceeds thereof in and towards the payment of said debts, in order to fully discharge and satisfy the same; that said decedent was seised of a certain tract of land lying on the waters of Lry Fork of Cheat river, containing twelve hundred acres more or less, which is described in an exhibit filed with the bill; that the defendant, the Bank of West Virginia of Clarksburg, recovered a judgment against the decedent in his lifetime, which was docketed in the judgment-lien docket in the clerk’s office of the County Court [312]*312of said county, which remains partly unpaid, and is a lien on said tract of land. The complainant prays the guidance of the court in the execution of her executorial office; that said land may he. sold to pay the debts of decedent in the order of their priorities, and that the remainder of the proceeds of such sale, if any, he paid over to her, to be disposed of according to the provisions of said will; and that a commissioner be directed to ascertain the debts of said decedent and their priorities and to settle the accounts of plaintiff as such executrix.

The will of said Charles J. P. Cresap is exhibited with plaintiff’s hill, and reads as follows: “I, Charles J. P. Cresap, of Beverly, Randolph county, West Virginia, this day made my last will and testament. I give and bequeath to my beloved wife, Agnes C. Cresap, in trust and for her support and maintenance during her life, all my estate, both real and personal, with full power and privilege to sell and convey any, all, or so much of my real estate in such a manner as she may see fit, in as full and complete manner as I myself can do, to sell and dispose of my personal estate, or so much as she may see fit, for her own support, accord-ind to her condition in life, and for the benefit of my estate, so far as she may see proper. At the death of my dear wife, Agnes C. Cresap, I desire the residue of my estate, both real and personal, to be distributed as follows: One half of the same, after giving my dear wife a full and liberal support, to my brother G-ustavus J. Cresap and to my sisters, Mary B. Cresap and Rachel R. Cresap, to he equally divided between them; to our dear devoted niece Nannie I. Evans the one half of the residue or the one fourth of the remainder, leaving the one fourth of the remainder of my estate to be disposed of by my wife,, Agnes C. Cresap. In case my dear wife does not dispose of the same, which I here desire to give her full right and power to do, then I desire the remaining one fourth at my wife’s death, to be equally divided between my brother Gustavus J. Cresap and my unmarried sister or sisters at her death. I hereby constitute and appoint my beloved wife, Agnes C. Cresap, my sole executrix, with .full power to sell any or all of my estate, real or personal, at public or private sale as she may see proper, with [313]*313full power to convey the same in as full and complete, a-manner as I can do; and I desire her to, qualify as- sue’ executrix without being required to execute bond. "Written. and subscribed in my own name, May 15th, 1884. Chables J. P. Cbesap.” •

■ The plaintiff also filed an amended bill, .in which she alleges that she intermarried with said testator in January, 1870, and from that time until his death, which, took place in said county in 1886, they lived together as husband and wife, in uninterrupted domestic peace and harmony, but that no issue resulted from their marriage; that by the first clause of her husband’s will he devised and bequeathed- to her in trust, for her support and maintenance during her life, all his estate, real and personal, with full power and privilege to sell and convey the whole, or any part thereof, in such manner as she might see fit tq, do, in as, full and complete manner as said testator could himself-have done; that by this clause, and others of similar import, the testator, her husband, clearly intended to confer upon and invest her with the complete,, absolute title in fee-simple to all of his real'and personal estate, subject only to the,payment of his debts and the necessary charges of its administration ; and she charges that the limitation of this absolute title so devised and bequeathed to her in favor of said G-ustavus ,J. Cresap, Rachel R. Cresap, and Mary B. Cresap and hTannie I.,Evans are consequently inoperative and void, and can only be held to indicate on the part of the testator a wish or request that if any part of the estate so devised to her should remain unconsumed or undisposed of. at the time-of her death such remainder should be disposed of by her will in the proportion of one moiety of such remainder to said Gustavus J. Cresap, Rachel R. Cresap, and Mary-B. Cresap, in equal poi’tions, and one half of the remaining moiety of such remainder should go to JSTannie I. Eyans, and the residue to such persons as the plaintiff may appoint, and upon her failure to make such appointment then to pass to said Gustavus J. Cresap, and to such of his sisters as might -remain unmarried at the time of her death; and she prays that said will may be construed by the court, and her rights, powers, and duties under the provision of the will may be [314]*314ascertained and declared by the decree of the court, in order that she may administer the said estate according to the true intent and meaning of said will; and for general relief.

Three of the defendants, viz., Gustavus J. Cresap, Mary B. Cresap, and Rachel It.

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Bluebook (online)
12 S.E. 527, 34 W. Va. 310, 1890 W. Va. LEXIS 82, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/cresap-v-cresap-wva-1890.