Braxton v. Freeman
Braxton v. Freeman
Opinion of the Court
The opinion of' the Court was delivered by
The gift made by a husband’s will to his wife, either for life or in fee, of every thing that he owned at his death, apart from a distinct manifestation of a contrary intention, would be construed a benevolence: — the acceptance of it would by necessity exclude her demand of dower in the lands contained in the gift, for she could not demand against herself (Shep. Touch. 328; Caston vs. Caston, 2 Rich. Eq. 2:) but it would affect her right of dower in other lands which the husband had aliened during coverture, no more than it would«affect her right in a chose in action or any other thing to which she was entitled independent of the husband’s will. (Cunningham vs. Shannon, Eq. Mss. H. 407; Hitchens vs. Hitchens, 2 Vern. 403; Adsit vs. Adsit, 2 Johns. Ch. 448; and other cases cited in the dissenting opinion of Chancellor Dargan, 4 Strob. Eq. 92, Bailey vs. Boyce.)
It has been suggested here, that the devise of the remainder after the wife’s life estate, would be diminished and disturbed by the damages which the defendant, husband’s vendee, would recover from the husband’s executors for the breach of warranty that would be made by the wife’s recovery of dower in the lands conveyed to the defendant: that thence arises an implication in the will that the provision therein made for the wife should be in lieu of dower : and that her acceptance of it has barred her
Motion granted.
Motion granted.
Case-law data current through December 31, 2025. Source: CourtListener bulk data.