Cordes v. Ardrian
Cordes v. Ardrian
Concurring Opinion
We concur in opinion with the Chancellor, for the very satisfactory reasons contained in his decree.
Opinion of the Court
The briefs of the bill and answer state the case and make part of this decree. Two questions arise in this case. The first is, whether the limitation over in the will of the late Mrs. Charlotte Cordes, mother of the complainants, is within the prescribed limits, and therefore good; or whether the limitation is too remote, and void ? The words in the will are, “ I give and bequeath to my son, Thomas Evans Codes, and to him and his heirs and assigns forever, the following negroes: — Molly, Chañe, Harriet, Maria, Solomon, Feb, Amey, Gabriel, and Juliana, together with the present and future issue of the females, and should he die without lawful issue, the said negroes shall return to my
In Henry v. Felder, 2 M’C. Ch. 333, decided by the Court of Appeals in 1821, the words of the bequest were as follows, “I give and bequeath to Elizabeth Conlietle, a negro girl named Dinah, to her and the heirs of her body lawfully begotten forever, but on failure of issue, to go to the eldest child of my daughter Nancy Connor.” Chancellor Thompson held the limitation to be too remote and void, and the Court of Appeals in an elaborate argument sustained the decree. These then are cases where Court guarded against limitations of too great an extent, and declared them void.
In the case of Treville u Ellis, (unpublished manuscript case) the testator, after giving to his children different portions of property, goes on to say, “ It is my will and desire, that should any of my children die without lawful heirs of their body, that then their part or division of my estate shall be divided equally between the surviving children, share and share alike.” The Chancellor (De Sausstjee), held the limitation over too remote and void. The Court of Appeals held the limitation over to be good, and reversed the Chancellor’s decree. In Stephens v. Patterson executor of King (manuscript case), decided in 1828, the words of the will were “I give and bequeath to my daughter Mary, my negro woman named Rose, together with her increase, to her and the heirs of her body, but should she die without lawful issue, then the said negro girl Rose to go back and be equally divided among the survivors of my children aforementioned.” Chancellor De Saussure decreed that the limitation over was too remote and void. The Court of Appeals after an elaborate *argument decided that the devise over was good, and reversed the decree of the Circuit Judge. It appears to me that the two decisions, of Treville and Ellis, and particularly of Stephens and Patterson, are so entirely applicable to the one we are considering, that they must govern it. It must therefore be decided, that the limitation over is good, and that the complainants will be entitled to the slaves in question, on the death of Thos. Evans Cordes without lawful issue.
The second question in the case is, whether the complainants are entitled, under the circumstances of the case, to security for the forthcoming of the slaves in question, after the death of Thos. Evans Cordes. The circumstances are as follows. The legatee Thomas Evans Cordes, who was in possession of the slaves, being in debt, a creditor levied his execu
It is therefore ordered and decreed, that the defendant William Ardrian, do give bond and security to the satisfaction of the Commissioner, in'the value of the slaves, for the production and delivery of the slaves Maria and Solomon, if alive at the death of Thomas Evan Cordes without lawful issue, on which event the complainants will be entitled to the said slaves.
The defendant, Ardrian, appealed from this decree, because :
1. Thomas Evans Cordes took an absolute estate under the will.
2. The defendant had an unquestionable right to sell his interest in the negroes.
3. The defendant having sold before the hearing and decree, and this being known to the plaintiffs, he ought not now to be a party to this suit.
Case-law data current through December 31, 2025. Source: CourtListener bulk data.