Hart v. Lindsey

17 N.H. 235
CourtSuperior Court of New Hampshire
DecidedJuly 15, 1845
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 17 N.H. 235 (Hart v. Lindsey) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Superior Court of New Hampshire primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Hart v. Lindsey, 17 N.H. 235 (N.H. Super. Ct. 1845).

Opinion

Woods, J.

Several questions are presented in this ease: 1. Could the amendment legally have been made, that was made in the order? By sec. 4, chap. 78, of the Rev. Stat., the return of the sergeant or private who delivers the order may be amended; as may the record also, to conform to the facts of the ease. In this case, neither the return nor the record needed amendment. Each was in conformity with the truth, without amendment.

But there was no authority to amend the order issued by the captain. Such as they were, they were or ought to have been executed; and the question is, whether they were executed by the sergeant, and whether he warned the person whom he was required to warn. lie warned the person who was enrolled. Was he ordered to ■warn him ? The person indicated in the order was John Lindsey, and the person warned was John II. Lindsey. Was the person warned properly designated in the order, by the name of John Lindsey ?

When the name is a foreign one, the variance of a letter which, according to the pronunciation of that language, does not vary the sound, is not a misnomer; as Petris for Petrie. Petrie v. Woodworth, 3 Caines 219. And to a plea of misnomer, a replication that the defendant is as well known by the one name as by the other, is good.

And the writ will not abate, on the ground that the name of the defendant is spelt in the -writ differently from his usual manner of spelling it, provided both modes of [240]*240spelling have the same sound. Tebbetts v. Kiah, 2 N. H. Rep. 557. The same principle is recognized in 1 East 542; 2 Taunt. 401; 2 Caines 362, Meredith v. Hinsdale.

But the principle of idem, sonans does not settle the present question, since it is plain that the name sounds differently, according as it read with or without the initial letter of the middle name.

„ Nor does it appear that the defendant is known as well by one name as by the other; and the question really is, whether the middle letter “EC” is any part of the .defendant’s name, the omission of which would leave it a different name.

In Franklin v. Tallmadge, 5 Johns. 84, the court held that the omission of the letter T between the Christian and surname was immaterial. “It was no part of his name, for the law knows only of one Christian name.”

In Roosvelt v. Gardiner, 2 Cow. 464, a question arose upon the validity of an order of a judge for the stay of proceedings for a certain purpose. ■ In the title of the order, in the name of Cornelius V. S. Roosvelt, the letters V. S. were, omitted. The court- held that those letters were no part of the plaintiff’s name, and cited the case of Franklin v. Tallmadge.

In Keene v. Meade, 3 Pet. 1, Meade having instituted a suit against Keene, a commission was issued to take evidence to establish the claim of the plaintiff, whose name was Richard W. Meade. But in the commission he was described as Richard M. Meade, and on trial the defendant’s counsel objected to the reading of -the commission, but the objection was overruled. Mr. Justice Thompson, who_ delivered the opinion of the court, said: “ It may well be questioned whether the middle letter formed any part of the Christian name of Meade. It is said the law knows only one Christian name, and there are adjudged cases strongly sustaining, if not fully establishing, that the entire omission of the middle name is not ,a misnomer.” [241]*241lie cited 5 Johns. 84, and the eases there referred to, and further said, “ If so, the middle letter is immaterial, and may be stricken out or disregarded.” But there was another ground, upon which the case may well be supposed mainly to have turned, namely, that there was a joint commission for each party, and so neither could object to it.

In Hutchins v. Gibbie, 2 Chit. 235, in which the plaintiff’s name wras, in the commencement of the declaration, stated to bo James Toll Hutchins, the defendant demurred specially, because he was, throughout the subsequent part of it, called “said James,” and it was held sufficient, because non constat that the “ Toll ” wras part of the surname.

In Wood v. Fletcher, 8 N. H. Rep. 61, it appeared that John A. Fletcher, a son of the defendant, wms enrolled in the company by the name of John Fletcher. He appeared at the training, answered to the name of John Fletcher, but w’as not equipped as the law required. The court said: “ He appeared at the muster, and answered to the name of John Fletcher, and it seems to be too late now for him or his guardian to make this objection.”

In Commonwealth v. Perkins, 1 Pick. 388, which was an indictment against the defendant by the name of Thomas Perkins, junior, the defendant pleaded, in abatement, that Ms name was Thomas II. Perkins. The court said: “It is said, on the part of the commonwealth, that ‘junior’ is no part of the name. This is true, but another objection to the indictment is, that the defendant is called Thomas, instead of Thomas Hopkins. In 5 T. R. 195, a person was sued by the name of J ames Richard, instead of Richard James, and it -was held a misnomer, on account of the transposition. The indictment must give the defendant his right Christian name.”

In Commonwealth v. Charles Jones Hall, 3 Pick. 262, the question was, whether the defendant was duly enrolled, so as to be liable to do military duty. The roll contained [242]*242the name of Charles Hall, but not the name of Charles Jones Hall, which was the name of the defendant. Morion, J., in delivering the opinion of the court, said: “ It needs no argument to prove that Charles and Charles Jones are different names. "The defendant was not therefore duly enrolled.” He cited the case last referred to.

These authorities tend to show, that while a middle name is essential as a part either of the Christian or surname, the letter which is sometimes inserted between the Christian and surname is not a part of either, and may be omitted in reading. Such we conclude to be reasonable doctrine. If the middle initial letter be a consonant, it must, if sounded at all, be joined either with the preceding or with the following syllable. This, if practicable, would change the name, contrary to the intention of the writer. Letters that are not sounded need not be named in reading, but may be passed over as silent letters, and the omission of silent letters, according to the doctrine of idem sonans, does not constitute a variance or misnomer.

As to the evidence on which the complainant relied to prove the boundaries of the company, the statute provides (Rev. Stat., chap. 84, sec. 1), that “ the field officers shall prescribe the limits, and alter and modify thém, as they think proper. And every order making such alteration shall be recorded,” &e. But it by no means follows that there may not be other evidence of the boundaries than such orders and the record of them afford. A presumption may well be founded upon the evidence in the case, that the limits had been in some way legally settled and defined. Hammond, v. Dunbar, 24 Pick. 177; Spaulding v. Bancroft, 23, Pick. 54.

But another question in the same case is, whether the defendant was liable to do military duty, or to be enrolled agreeably to section 1, chapter 77, of the Revised Statutes; whether he was a citizen of this State, residing in Milton.

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Bluebook (online)
17 N.H. 235, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/hart-v-lindsey-nhsuperct-1845.