Doe v. Roe

31 A. 1043, 12 Del. 488, 7 Houston 488, 1887 Del. LEXIS 7
CourtSupreme Court of Delaware
DecidedJune 27, 1887
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 31 A. 1043 (Doe v. Roe) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Delaware primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Doe v. Roe, 31 A. 1043, 12 Del. 488, 7 Houston 488, 1887 Del. LEXIS 7 (Del. 1887).

Opinion

Saulsbury, Chancellor :

Richard Cooper, at that time a prominent citizen of Kent county, in this State, duly made and published his last will and testament on January 23, 1816, and died without having revoked the same in 1818.

He left to survive him a widow and five children, viz. s Ezekiel, Sarah, Richard J., Ignatius T., and William H.

To each of his five children he devised in severalty, portions of his real estate, in similar terms, which terms may be sufficiently understood by reference to the different items of his will in which the several devises are contained.

The sixth item is as follows: " I give and devise to my son, William Hughlett Cooper, * * * * * for and during his natural life, and not to be taken nor construed to be any longer or greater estate. And from and after his death, I give and devise all the foregoing lands and premises unto the several children, respect[510]*510ively of my son William H. Cooper, both males and females, if he should leave any at the time of his death which are lawfully begotten of his body, unto them, his said children, and the heirs of their bodies respectively forever, I give and bequeath to my son, William H. Cooper, a legacy of three hundred dollars in order to make up the deficiency in the value of the real estate devised to him with that devised to my other children.

Similar devises of his real estate for their natural lives, and not to be taken nor construed to be any larger, or greater estate were made to his other children respectively, and from, and after their deaths, respectively, were made unto their several children respectively, of the portions of real estate devised by the testator to his children respectively.

It is this item of the testator’s will to which we are now to give a construction.

The seventh item of the will is as follows: “Provided, nevertheless, in case any one, or more of my said children shall happen to die without leaving child or children, lawfully begotten of their bodies that can take and hold my real estate, as my immediate devisees agreeable to the true intent and meaning of this my will, then in such case, I give and devise the lands and premises, above devised, to such child or children which may, or shall happen to die as aforesaid unto the survivor, or survivors, of my said children, during their natural life, and after their decease I give and devise the lands and premises aforesaid, to the child or children, both males and females respectively of such survivor, or survivors, lawfully begotten of their bodies forever of any of my children, which may be dead leaving such child, or children, such child, or children claiming such part, or share as the parent, or parents, of such child, or children would have claimed, if living to be equally divided between my surviving child, or children as aforesaid, and the child, or children lawfully begotten, of any that may be dead claiming the right of their parent, or parents as if living, share and share alike, as tenants in common, and not as joint tenants, and to the respective heirs, as aforesaid, forever ; and it is further provided, and it is my will, and desire, and intention, that if the whole of my children should die without leaving lawful child or children, or legal descendants of such child, or children, so that the whole of [511]*511the lawful issue of my own body should become extinct, then and in such case, I give and devise the remainder, and remainders, reversion and reversions of my whole estate in the manner and form following: (Here follow devises to divers persons in fee and in tail not being children or descendants of the testator.)

The eigthth item of the will is as follows: Be it known that it is my express intention in this my will to create and establish cross remainders on and in the aforesaid estates, lands and premises among my several and respective children and their children lawfully begotten, so that my children and their children as aforesaid shall inherit so long as any of them shall remain.”

In a codicil to his will dated July 27, 1816, the testator declared that it was bis intention and will that the whole of his estate both real and personal should go to, and be divided to, and amongst his children, and the lawful issue of their respective bodies so long as any of them should remain. And that no other person in remainder should take or inherit any part thereof so long as any of his children or their lawful issue should survive.

Ezekiel Cooper one of the children of the testator died in 1828, leaving to survive him four children, one of whom is Andrew B., the plaintiff.

The testator’s daughter Sarah, died in 1830, leaving to survive her three children, Richard I., another of children died in 1835'leav-ingtosurvivehimonechild. WilliamH. Cooper, another child of the testator, died in 1847 without issue. Ignatius T. Cooper, another child of the testator, and the surviving one" of the testator’s children, died in 1884 leaving to survive him five children, viz: Richard G., Ezekiel W., William H., Alexander B. and Ignatius T.

The question for us to decide is whether Andrew B. Cooper, the plaintiff in the Action of Ejectment in the Superior Court in and for Kent County, in the State of Delaware, a son of Ezekiel Cooper, a child of the testator who died in 1828 is entitled to any and if any, what estate in possession devised by the testator to his son William H. Cooper, for life, who died in 1847 without issue.

Jn deciding this question it is necessary to consider every provision of the testator’s will, having a relation thereto.

First, I remark that it is apparent from careful consideration of the proviso contained in the seventh item of the will, that to a [512]*512clear and full understanding of that proviso, that the word “ And” should be read between the words “ forever ” and “ of ” in the thirteenth line of said proviso oh the plaintiff’s brief and in the twelfth line on the defendant’s brief.

The Court in construing that proviso is justified and has authority to consider that that word was intended or meant by the testator so to be introduced, and was omitted from accident or inadvertence, and its insertion in a proper consideration of this provision of the testator’s will whether absolutely necessary or not, would clearly elucidate his meaning and render clear that which otherwise might by others be considered doubtful or uncertain.

That it is perfectly competent for the Court to construe the will as though this word was inserted if they believed such an insertion would manifest more clearly the testator’s intention is too clear to need authorities and will not I presume be seriously questioned by any one familiar with the rules of correct interpretation.

Properly to interpret the will of the testator, and to give full effect to all of its provisions, we must bear in mind that he has declared therein, that it is his intention that the whole of his the estate, both real and personal, shall go to, and be divided to, and amongst all his children and the lawful issue of their respective bodies, so long as any of them shall remain, and that no other person in remainder shall take or inherit any part thereof so long as any of his children or their lawful issue shall survive.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
31 A. 1043, 12 Del. 488, 7 Houston 488, 1887 Del. LEXIS 7, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/doe-v-roe-del-1887.