Opinion
January Term, 1813.
From New Hanover.
The word legacy, used in a will, often relates to real as well as personal estate. The explanation of this word must be governed by the intention of the testator. Common people apply the word legacy to land as well as money; and courts should construe words according to their meaning in common parlance.
ARTHUR MABSON being seized in fee of the lands in question, departed this life in 1777, having published in writing his last will, duly executed to pass his real estates; and therein and thereby devised: 1. "To his wife, Mary, all his household furniture at his plantation on Neps Creek, his riding horses and carriage, and all such part of his plate as was marked M. C. And he gave to her, during her natural life, the use and property of one-fifth part of all his slaves; and after her decease he gave the said slaves to his children, Mary, Susannah, Arthur, Samuel and William, or the survivor of them, to be equally divided among them. And he also gave to his wife, (229) during her widowhood, the use of any one of his plantations she might choose. 2. To his son, Arthur Mabson, his plantation on Neps Creek and all his other lands thereto adjoining, and a sixth part of all his slaves, cattle and hogs, and the remaining part of his plate. 3. To his daughter, Mary Mabson, one house and lot in Wilmington and one-sixth part of all his slaves, cattle and hogs, to be put into her possession when she should attain the age of twenty-one years or she should marry. 4. To his daughter, Susannah Mabson, another house and lot in Wilmington and one-sixth part of his slaves, etc. 5. To his son, Samuel Mabson, his plantation on the sound and a tract of land adjoining, and one-sixth part of his slaves, etc. 6. To his son, William Mabson, all his other lands and one-sixth part of his slaves, etc. 7. He gave all the rest and residue of his personal estate to his aforesaid five children, to be equally divided between them. 8. He directed that in case of the death of any of his said children without lawful issue, before the time they could get possession of their respective legacies, the legacy bequeathed to such child so dying shall be equally divided between the survivors or survivor of them."
Arthur Mabson was the testator's eldest son and heir at law. He died intestate in 1793, leaving the lessors of the plaintiff, Mildred and Louisa, his heirs at law. Mary Mabson, named in the third clause of the testator's will, entered into possession of the premises upon the death of her father, and remained in possession of them until 1808, when she died without issue, having by her last will, duly executed to pass real estate, devised the premises to the defendant. The premises described in the declaration were the same with those devised to Mary Mabson in the third clause of the testator's will. The question submitted to the Court was, "What estate in the premises did Mary Mabson take under her father's will?"
The first clause of the will connected with this question, and by which the premises are given to Mary Mabson, certainly has only the effect of conveying to her an estate for life. The testator has not even expressed an intention of giving away the whole of his estate — a circumstance which in many cases has been much relied upon. But what appears to be decisive of the question is the clause in which the testator directs, "that in case of the death of any of my aforesaid children without issue before the time they can get possession of their respective legacies, the legacies before bequeathed to such child so dying shall be equally divided between the survivors or survivor of them." It has been argued that the word legacy relates only to personal property; and no doubt it would be more correct to use it in that way; but most testators are unacquainted with that circumstance, and apply this word indiscriminately to both real and personal property, and so the testator applied it in this case. Hope v. Taylor, 1 Burr., 268, is an authority that settles this question. It certainly never could be the intention of the testator that in case Mary died before she got possession of the property given to her by the will, the personal property should be divided among the survivors, and the real estate either go to a residuary legatee or to the heir at law, as property undisposed of. Let judgment be entered for the defendant.
Cited: Tucker v. Tucker, 40 N.C. 84; Cole v. Covington, 86 N.C. 298.
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