{ "id": 11271604, "name": "BYNUM SPAUGH et al. v. A. J. HARTMAN et al.", "name_abbreviation": "Spaugh v. Hartman", "decision_date": "1909-04-14", "docket_number": "", "first_page": "454", "last_page": "457", "citations": [ { "type": "official", "cite": "150 N.C. 454" } ], "court": { "name_abbreviation": "N.C.", "id": 9292, "name": "Supreme Court of North Carolina" }, "jurisdiction": { "id": 5, "name_long": "North Carolina", "name": "N.C." }, "cites_to": [ { "cite": "123 N. C., 632", "category": "reporters:state", "reporter": "N.C.", "opinion_index": 0 }, { "cite": "140 N. C., 601", "category": "reporters:state", "reporter": "N.C.", "opinion_index": 0 }, { "cite": "140 N. C., 599", "category": "reporters:state", "reporter": "N.C.", "opinion_index": 0 }, { "cite": "144 N. C., 763", "category": "reporters:state", "reporter": "N.C.", "case_ids": [ 8662193 ], "opinion_index": 0, "case_paths": [ "/nc/144/0763-01" ] }, { "cite": "12 N. C., 337", "category": "reporters:state", "reporter": "N.C.", "case_ids": [ 8692087 ], "opinion_index": 0, "case_paths": [ "/nc/12/0337-01" ] }, { "cite": "79 N. C., 291", "category": "reporters:state", "reporter": "N.C.", "opinion_index": 0 }, { "cite": "51 N. C., 421", "category": "reporters:state", "reporter": "N.C.", "case_ids": [ 11278057 ], "opinion_index": 0, "case_paths": [ "/nc/51/0421-01" ] }, { "cite": "102 N. C., 35", "category": "reporters:state", "reporter": "N.C.", "opinion_index": 0 } ], "analysis": { "cardinality": 427, "char_count": 7212, "ocr_confidence": 0.457, "pagerank": { "raw": 1.0086041858799e-07, "percentile": 0.541514582510409 }, "sha256": "53b7415323a42ff9de77724572bc0bcf0014e5368bcb60a482c408274ec13cfd", "simhash": "1:9f7521788896f57f", "word_count": 1218 }, "last_updated": "2023-07-14T18:55:20.077008+00:00", "provenance": { "date_added": "2019-08-29", "source": "Harvard", "batch": "2018" }, "casebody": { "judges": [], "parties": [ "BYNUM SPAUGH et al. v. A. J. HARTMAN et al." ], "opinions": [ { "text": "Brown, J.\nTbe land in controversy was devised by Alex Delap to James Wesley Delap (colored), wbo bad been bis slave. Upon the death of the testator the said devisee entered into possession and remained there until he died, intestate, in 1906. The defendants then entered upon the lands and have remained there since, claiming as heirs of Alex Delap. The plaintiffs claim the lands as the children of Calvin Delap, who, it is alleged, was the son of Wesley Delap and his \u201cslave wife,\u201d Martha, Spaugh. Calvin was born of said Martha about 1853, and it is. contended that Wesley Delap was his father, acknowledged the: paternity, and, at the tim\u00e9 the child was born, was living with its mother in the relation of husband and wife, and that in consequence thereof such issue became legitimate and capable of inheriting from either parent, under the act of 1879, now Eule 13, Descents. Eevisal, sec. 1556.\nThere was much evidence introduced by plaintiffs tending to establish the affirmative of the issue.\nThese questions were put by plaintiffs\u2019 counsel to witness Manuel Spaugh and excluded by the court, to which ruling the plaintiffs excepted:\n\u201cState what the general reputation as to who Martha Spaugh\u2019s husband was, and who Wesley Delap\u2019s wife was, relative to slave relations.\n\u201cDid or did not Martha and Wesley live together as man and wife, as was custom amongst slaves at and before, the time of the begetting and birth of Calvin Spaugh?\u201d\nThe act of February, 1879, adds to the canons of descent by legitimatizing the children of colored parents born at any time before the first day of January, 1868, of persons living together as husband and wife, and confers upon such children all the rights of heirs at law or next of kin with respect to the estate of. such parents or either of them. Its efficacy depends upon two essential facts to be established \u2014 a cohabitation subsisting at the birth of the child and the paternity of the person from whom the property claimed is derived.\nThe cohabitation meant by the statute is not casual sexual intercourse, but an exclusive cohabitation, such as is usually signified by the words \u201cliving together as man and wife.\u201d Branch v. Walker, 102 N. C., 35. While the marriage of slaves was not recognized as a legal bond, it is well known that in numberless instances tbe marriage relation was assumed by them, and to all intents and purposes; except in law, they became man and wife, and the appellation of \u201chusband and wife\u201d was used in reference to the parties to such unions by their owners and their associates.\n. By the common law it is held to be a general rule of universal application in civil cases, except in actions for criminal conversation, that reputation, cohabitation, the declarations and conduct of the parties are competent evidence to prove that the marriage relation subsisted between them. Archer v. Haithcock, 51 N. C., 421; Jones v. Riddick, 79 N. C., 291; Weaver v. Cryer, 12 N. C., 337. '\nVe are of opinion that the same rule of evidence should apply in proving that the quasi marriage relation referred to in the statute existed between slaves. It is not the legality of such a relation that is an issue in this case, but only the fact that such a relation was assumed by the putative grandparents of the plaintiffs.\nThe syllabus in the case of Nelson v. Hunter, upon a rehearing (144 N. C., 763), would appear to sanction the ruling of-his Honor; but an examination of the case will disclose nothing-inconsistent with our present ruling. 140 N. C., 599. The facts of that case were that a marriage ceremony w'as performed, during the war, between Solomon Nelson and Jackie Cook, and' the' evidence tended strongly to prove that the relation thus assumed continued to exist until after the act of 10 March, 1866, had legalized it, and that the plaintiff Nelson claimed the property of his mother, Jackie, as her only legitimate child, the product of that union. For the purpose of showing that the relation of Solomon with Jackie was not exclusive and not that of husband and wife, it was sought to be proven by general reputation that Solomon, some time in 1867, abandoned Jackie and lived with a female of color, named Yiley, in Beaufort County, with whom he had lived prior to the war. The court held that the general reputation that Yiley was Solomon\u2019s wife before the war, and her declarations claiming him as her husband, were valueless and incompetent, saying in reference thereto: \u201cIf Solomon resumed his cohabitation with Yiley after the passage of tbe act of 10 March, 1866, it could have no effect upon the legitimacy of bis and Jackie\u2019s children. If his relations with Jackie continued long enough to have become legalized by the act, his conduct after that could not render the offspring of \u2018that union illegitimate.\u201d 140 N. C., 601. There was no purpose in that case to prove a slave marriage between Solomon and Yiley, nor was there any issue of their cohabitation. Neither is the case of Erwin v. Bailey, 123 N. C., 632, authority for the defendant\u2019s contention. It was there held that general reputation that the plaintiff was not the child of Osesar Swinton was properly excluded, with which ruling we fully agree. It was an attempt to prove illegitimacy by general reputation.\nWe think his Honor erred in excluding the evidence.\nNew Trial.", "type": "majority", "author": "Brown, J." } ], "attorneys": [ "Walser & Walser and McCrary & McCrary for plaintiffs.", "Emery E. Raper for defendants." ], "corrections": "", "head_matter": "BYNUM SPAUGH et al. v. A. J. HARTMAN et al.\n(Filed 14 April, 1909.)\n1. Inheritance \u2014 Slaves\u2014Legitimatizing Childre\u2019n \u2014 Heirs at Law.\nThe efficacy of the act of 1879 (Revisal, sec. 1556), legitimatizing the children of colored parents, under certain conditions, living together as husband and wife, and thus giying them the rights of inheritance, depends upon two essential facts \u2014 a cohabitation subsisting at the birth of the child and the paternity of the person from whom the property claimed is derived.\n2. Same \u2014 Cohabitation.\nIn order to come within the provision of the act of 1879 (Re-visal, sec. 1556),. legitimatizing the children of colored .parents living together as man and wife, etc., and thus giving them the rights of inheritance, an exclusive cohabitation must> be shown, as signified by the expression, \u201cliving together as man and wife,\u201d and not casual sexual intercourse.\n3. Marriage \u2014 Slaves\u2014Legitimatizing Children \u2014 Evidence\u2014Acts and Declarations.\nThe quasi marriage relation necessary to legitimatize the children of colored parents, under the provisions of the act of 1879 (Revisal, sec. 1556), may be shown in evidence by reputation, cohabitation, declarations and conduct, under the same general rule of evidence applicable to establish the fact of marriage. (Nelson v. Hunter, 140 N. 0., 599, cited and approved.)\nActioN to recover land, tried before Long, J., and a jury, at November Term, 1908, of Davidson.\nTbe case was made to turn upon tbe finding of tbe jury upon tbis issue, submitted by consent: \u201cAre tbe plaintiffs tbe beirs of \"Wesley Delap and entitled to tbe possession of tbe lands described in tbe complaint?\u201d Answer: \u201cNo.\u201d\nTbe plaintiffs'moved for a new trial, assigning errors. Motion denied. Plaintiffs excepted and appealed from tbe judgment rendered.\nWalser & Walser and McCrary & McCrary for plaintiffs.\nEmery E. Raper for defendants." }, "file_name": "0454-01", "first_page_order": 498, "last_page_order": 501 }