{ "id": 8689551, "name": "GEORGE H. FARIBAULT against N. A. TAYLOR AND OTHERS", "name_abbreviation": "Faribault v. Taylor", "decision_date": "1859-12", "docket_number": "", "first_page": "219", "last_page": "222", "citations": [ { "type": "nominative", "cite": "5 Jones Eq. 219" }, { "type": "official", "cite": "58 N.C. 219" } ], "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": "2 Ired. Eq. Rep. 255", "category": "reporters:state", "reporter": "Ired. Eq.", "case_ids": [ 8681812 ], "opinion_index": 0, "case_paths": [ "/nc/37/0255-01" ] }, { "cite": "1 Dev. Eq. Rep. 270", "category": "reporters:state", "reporter": "Dev. Eq.", "case_ids": [ 11274874 ], "opinion_index": 0, "case_paths": [ "/nc/16/0270-01" ] }, { "cite": "4 Ired. Eq. Rep. 19", "category": "reporters:state", "reporter": "Ired. Eq.", "case_ids": [ 2100116 ], "opinion_index": 0, "case_paths": [ "/nc/39/0019-01" ] }, { "cite": "2 Dev. Eq. Rep. 314", "category": "reporters:state", "reporter": "Dev. Eq.", "opinion_index": 0 } ], "analysis": { "cardinality": 449, "char_count": 7882, "ocr_confidence": 0.46, "pagerank": { "raw": 3.1554489961386777e-07, "percentile": 0.862956488969048 }, "sha256": "2140d0dd7c946f600be2fd64f2d8038893d576e17f78669598f67d1a7c207568", "simhash": "1:9ce4c6846c32e6b6", "word_count": 1408 }, "last_updated": "2023-07-14T17:00:36.855594+00:00", "provenance": { "date_added": "2019-08-29", "source": "Harvard", "batch": "2018" }, "casebody": { "judges": [], "parties": [ "GEORGE H. FARIBAULT against N. A. TAYLOR AND OTHERS." ], "opinions": [ { "text": "Battle, J.\nThe bill is filed by the plaintiff, as the administrator with the will annexed of Dr. Alexander H. Taylor, for the purpose of getting the advice and direction of the Court as to the proper construction of certain clauses in the will of the testator.\n1. The difficulty is presented in the clause, which gives the share of his estate, to which the testator\u2019s oldest daughter, Mrs. Spivey, may be entitled, to certain trustees, in trust \u201cfor \u00a1the benefit of her and her children, free and exclusive from ;any control of her present, or any other husband, she may have.\u201d At the time of the testator\u2019s death Mrs. Spivey had three children, and the question is, whether she takes an absolute estate, as tenant in common with those children, or an estate for life only with the remainder to the childreu, which she now Inis, or may hereafter have. The construction, which would give the property to her and her present children only, as tenants in common of the absolute interest in it, is inadmis-ftaissible, both because it might, by diminishing the present and immediate interest in the wife, be an inadequate support for Imer -during her life, and, because it would exclude from the benefit of the fund, any children she may hereafter have. The manifest intent of the testator will be much more effectually carried out by giving to the wife a life-estate, with a remainder to all the children which she now has, or may hereafter have; and as the property is beqeathed to trustees, in trust, for the benefit of her and her children, this construction is fully supported by the recent cases of Bridgers v. Wilkins, 3 Jones\u2019 Eq. Rep. 342, Chesnut v. Mears, Ibid. 416, Coakley v. Daniel, 4 Jones\u2019 Eq. Rep. 89. Had the bequest been a direct one to Mrs. Spivey and her children, then, under the authority of Moore v. Leach, 3 Jones\u2019 Rep. 88, we should have -been constrained to hold that the wife and children living at the death of the testator, took an absolute interest in the fund as tenants in common. The principle upon which the distinction is founded, is stated and explained in the cases referred to, and need not be repeated. The share of the testator\u2019s property, given to Mrs. Spivey, is for her sole and separate use, and the trustees may permit her to have the possession of it, provided the profits of it can be thereby secured to her.\n2. The second difficulty, suggested in the bill, arises from the following sentence in the will: \u201c The negroes already received by Mr. Eeribault, I wish counted in according to value, so that all share and share alike, and the mode of division I leave to the parties concerned, desiring only that equality and justice may be their guide.\u201d The testator had, in the first clause of his will, directed that his \u201c whole estate, personal and real,, should be divided after the manner of law and equity,\u201d amongst the heirs of his body. He had', in his lifetime, given to Mr. Faribault, by parol, several slaves, among whom was a woman, who had two children after she was put in to-his possession, and the question is, whether the slaves, thus given, are to be valued as of the time of the gift, exclusive of the children born since, or are the whole of them, including these children, to be valued as of the time of the division. There is no doubt that the effect of the will, was to confirm the parol gifts and make them good db initio, so that the issue of the female slave, born afterwards, and before the death of the testator, belonged to the donee; Bullock v. Bullock, 2 Dev. Eq. Rep. 314; Woods v. Woods, 2 Jones Eq. Rep. 420. Such being the case and the will containing a direction that the division between the children shall be \u201c after the manner of law and equity,\u201d we think the valuation of the slaves given to Mr. Feribault should be of the time of the gift, and thus exclude from it the children born afterwards. The case of Ward v. Riddick, 4 Jones Eq. Rep. 22, is'an authority for this construction, and explains the reason upon which it is founded.\nThe last question upon which the administrator cum testa-mento annexo, seeks the advice of the court, arises from the following clause of the will: \u201c Upon consultation, if Georgi-anna wishes to remain with her mother, provided it be possible, this house ought to be enlarged for her comfort, which I recommend so as to make room for boarders also.\u201d Georgi-anna is one of the daughters of the testator, and the administrator wishes to know what is his duty in relation to the enlargement of the house ; and, if it is to be enlarged, at whose expense? The first remark which the clause suggests, is that it seems to be more a recommendation than an imperative direction. If, however, it be taken to be the latter, we feel ourselves bound to hold it to be void for uncertaintjn When is 'Georgianna to decide whether she wishes to remain \\Vith her mother? Iiow long is she to remain with her? How much larger is the house to be made for her comfort? How manjr boarders are to be pro vided for ? What is to be the cost of the improvements, and who is to decide these questions 1 All these are matters of so much uncertainty that, we do not feel ourselves able to give them a practical effect. The doctrine of endeavoring to effectuate the intention of a testator cy pres, has been long since exploded in this State. That doctrine applies to a case, where, from some cause or other, the intention of a testator', though expressed in terms sufficiently explicit, cannot be carried out in accordance with his wishes. If then the court will not attempt to direct the accomplishment of something approximating his declared wish, a fortiori, it ought not to attempt to accomplish a purpose expressed in such vague and uncertain terms that no person can hazard more than a mere conjecture as to what it is; see White v. University, 4 Ired. Eq. Rep. 19; Bridgers v. Pleasants, Ibid 26; McAulay v. Wilson, 1 Dev. Eq. Rep. 270; Holland v. Peck, 2 Ired. Eq. Rep. 255; Hester v. Hester, Ibid 330.\nPeR Cukiam, Decree accordingly.", "type": "majority", "author": "Battle, J." } ], "attorneys": [ "Miller and Busbee, for the jfiaintiff.", "USTo counsel appeared for the defendants in this Court." ], "corrections": "", "head_matter": "GEORGE H. FARIBAULT against N. A. TAYLOR AND OTHERS.\nWhere a testator gave slaves to a trustee in trust for his daughter and her children, \u201cfree and exclusive of any control of her husband,\" she having children at the time, it was Held to manifest an intention to provide specially for the daughter, and that she, consequently, took an estate for lile, in the negroes, with a remainder to her children born, or that might be bom thereafter.\nWhere a testator had placed in the hands of a married daughter a female slave, \u00ab who had two children afterwards, and before the death of the testator, and the donor by his will expressly confirms the gift of the negroes already receivedj. and another clause in the same will required the whole estate, real and personal, to be divided after the manner of law and' equity it was Held to be the intention of the testator, that the property should be valued as of the time of the original gift, and the two children excluded from the valuation.\nWhere a will contained the following clause \u201cupon consultation, if Georgiana wishes to remain with her mother, provided itbe possible, this house ought to be enlarged for her comfort, which I recommend, so as to make room for boarders,\u201d it was Held that such clause was too vague to be carried into effect.\nCause remove^ from tibe Court of Equity of Wake county.\nThe bill was filed by the administrator, with the will annexed of Dr. A. IT. Taylor, for directions and advice as to his duty in carrying out the intentions of the testator in the several particulars stated in the pleadings. The clauses in the said will, and the facts applicable to the questions raised thereon, are so fully stated in the opinion of the Court, that it is deemed unnecessary to 'repeat them here. -\nMiller and Busbee, for the jfiaintiff.\nUSTo counsel appeared for the defendants in this Court." }, "file_name": "0219-01", "first_page_order": 227, "last_page_order": 230 }