Nunnally v. White's executors

60 Ky. 584, 3 Met. 584, 1861 Ky. LEXIS 49
Court of Appeals of Kentucky·Decided December 27, 1861·Published·Cited by 7 cases

Opinion

JUDGE BULLITT

delivered the opinion of the court:

The will of Galen White, who died in 1831, gave $50 to Galen and Mary, children of his deceased son, Jefferson White, and the residue of his estate to his five children, Jeremiah, Lucy, Betsy, Polly and Patsy, and his grand-daughter Laurina White ; and enjoined it upon his “said five children and granddaughter, Laurina,” to pay to his grand-children, Galen and Mary, children of Jefferson White, deceased, $720 upon their attaining the age of twenty-one years; and then declared as follows : “It is further my will that, should any of my before mentioned children and grand-child, Laurina White, die without issue, that such of my estate as they may receive by this will be equally divided among those that may be alive, and the children of those then dead, in equitable proportions.” By a codicil he gave all the money, notes and accounts, that might be in his possession at the time of his death, to his said five children.

On the 6th November, 1833, four of said devisees, viz : Jeremiah, Betsy, Lucy with her husband John Duncan, and Laurina with her husband, Jacob Huguely, by a written instrument under seal, in consideration of one dollar and oí love and affection for Polly and Patsy White, disclaimed all their interest in “that part of the will of Galen White which refers to or mentions that if his daughters Polly or Patsy should die without heirs of their body, that that part of his estate should fall back to his children or heirs.” and bound their heirs, so far as [586]*586they might have assets, to “disclaim all right and title to the said section in any way.”

On the 16th November, 1833, Polly and Patsy White, in consideration of mutual love and affection, executed a similar instrument in favor of each other.

An attesting witness, the only one living, testifies that love and affection formed the only consideration for said instruments except as to Betsy Hill, (formerly White,) who, he says, received a cow from Polly and Patsy White for signing the first named instrument.

.Neither instrument was acknowledged for record, though both were deposited in'the county court clerk’s office.

On the 24th March, 1834, the said devisees, and the said husbands of Lucy and laurina, divided the land devised by the will, by a deed of partition, with warranty, which was duly acknowledged and recorded.

By said deed thirty-eight acres were allotted to Polly White ; and by a parol partition there was allotted to her a slave called America, who is now living as well as seven children she has since borne.

Polly White married Durret White, and in 1836 they conveyed, with warranty, said thirty-eight acres of land to Wm. Terrill for $1,180.

Durret White, sometime after his marriage, purchased a slave, called Martha, who is now living as well as several children she has since borne. There is conflicting evidence upon the question whether he paid for Martha with means derived from his wife under Galen White’s will, or with other means of his own.

Polly White died in 1857, without issue, and Durret White died in 1858, leaving a will by which he declared America and Martha and their children free, and provided for their removal from Kentucky.

During the life of Polly White, Patsy White, who had married John Tribble, died, leaving children and no estate ; Jeremiah White died, leaving issue and a will, by which he gave his whole estate to his wife for life or widowhood, and then to [587]*587his children; and John Duncan, the husband of Lucy White, died leaving issue and a large estate.

This suit was brought, after Durret White’s death, by the children of Jeremiah White and of Patsy Tribble, and by Galen and Mary, children of Jefferson White, to recover an alleged interest, under Galen White’s will, in the said slaves and said thirty-eight acres of land. Betsy Hill and Huguely and wife filed answers, claiming a like interest. Mrs. Duncan filed a disclaimer.

Terrill answered, relying upon his aforesaid purchase from Durret and Polly White in 1836, and his possession ever since, and upon the aforesaid instruments executed in 1833 and 1834, in bar of the claim of the plaintiffs and co-defendants to the land.

America and Martha and their children filed an answer, claiming their freedom under Durret White’s will, and his executors made their answer a counter-claim against the plaintiffs and some of the defendants, claiming a judgment for the value of the land, if any, which they might recover from Terrill.

The court below decided that Durret White held the slaves Martha and her children as his own property, free from any claim on the part of Galen White’s devisees; that Galen and Mary, children of Jefferson White, took no interest in remainder in the estate devised to Polly White, and dismissed the suit as to them; that Betsy Hill was barred by her warranty from claiming any interest in the land or slaves; that Jeremiah While’s children were barred to the same extent by his warranty and by assets received from him; tha.t Mrs. Huguely’s claim to the land was barred by the deed of 1834; that, as the deed of November 6, 1833, was not properly acknowledged, Mrs. Huguely’s claim to one-fifth of the slaves, America and her children, was not barred thereby, but that her husband was bound by said instrument for the value of her recovery ; and that Patsy Tribble’s children, having received no assets from their mother, were entitled to one-fifth of the land and of the slaves, America and her children ; and appointed a commissioner to allot one-fifth of said land and slaves to Patsy Tribble’s children, and one-fifth of said slaves to Mrs. Huguely.

[588]*588Th'e commissioner made a repoit as to the partition of said land, and stating the names of said slaves, and the value of each, the aggregate ' value of the slaves being $5,900; and ' thereupon the court allotted one of the slaves valued at $1,150 to Mrs. Tribble’s children, and gave them a judgment against Durret White’s executors for $30 to make one-fifth of the value of said slaves, and allotted to them eight and one-half acres of the land; and allotted two of said slaves to Mrs. Huguely, valued at $1,100, and gave her a judgment against said executors for $80 to make one-fifth of the value of said slaves; and gave to said executors a judgment against Jacob Huguely for said $1,180 recovered by his wife. •

The children of Jefferson and Jeremiah White, Huguely and wife, Terrill, Durret White’s executors, and America and her children, appealed from said judgments.

1. There was no error in dismissing the suit of Galen and Mary White. They took nothing under the will except the pecuniary legacies. This seems too plain to require argument for its support.

2. Even if Martha was purchased with means received by Durret White’s wife under the executory clause of Galen White’s will, it would not, perhaps, necessarily follow that the executory devisees are entitled to Martha and her children. .But we need not decide this question, as we are not satisfied from the proof that Martha was purchased with such means. The circuit judge did not err in refusing to give the claimants a judgment for Martha and her children.

3.

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Nunnally v. White's executors, 60 Ky. 584, 3 Met. 584, 1861 Ky. LEXIS 49 (Ky. Ct. App. 1861).

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