Kevan v. Waller
Kevan v. Waller
Opinion of the Court
The difficulty which was supposed to
exist as to the jurisdiction in this case, disappears when we look to the position of the parties. Kevan, the appointed guardian of young Myrick, was summoned, at Waller’s instance, to shew cause why he should not be removed, he Waller claiming that he had been appointed testamentary guardian, and not having been summoned or notified according to law, to declare'his acceptance or renunciation of the office. Kevan was removed .by the Hustings Court of Peters-burg by which he had been appointed. Waller then moved to be permitted to qualify; Kevan opposed this motion; and it was entered of record that he did so. The Hustings Court rejected Waller’s motion; and Waller appealed. How although, if the two cases are considered as distinct, Kevan’s right of appeal might have created some doubt, if he had failed in the Hustings Court; yet as he succeeded, and Waller appealed, Kevan was properly before the Circuit Superior Court as a party; and as that court reversed the sentence of the Hustings Court, and gave judgment against him for costs, there can be no doubt, I think, of his right of appeal from that judgment. The question is then fairly brought up as to the merits of the sentence.
I put out of the case all question as to the power of one of two testamentary guardians to qualify without
The real question in the case is, whether the will of Myrick constituted Waller and Clarke the guardians of his child? And here I shall concede, that it has been decided (whether wisely or not, may perhaps he questionable) that the use of the term guardian, or other express words of appointment, is not necessary, nor is it material by what words the guardian is appointed, provided the father’s intent be sufficiently apparent. Yet, with this concession, I am still of opinion, that, as the father’s authority is an innovation upon the common law, and in derogation of the rights of the mother or other kindred who would be entitled to he guardians by nature, the declaration of his intention should he distinct and unequivocal, and in terms inconsistent with the existence of the power and authority of the natural guardian. And if the language of his will is clearly reconeileable with the rights of such natural guardian, it should not he strained, by piling inference upon inference, so as to take them away. Thus, in the present case, the mother
Such appears to me to be the present case. Here is a grandfather of the child yet living. Why should we presume, that the father intended to take from the grandfather, his natural friend and protector, this only child, and place his person and all his property, in the hands of Waller and the grandfather jointly? Because he has ordered, that he shall be “educated in the best manner, under the direction of his executors ? ” Is this order incompatible with the rights of the natural guardian? What -more was meant, than that Waller and Clarke should prescribe the course, and point out the mode, of his education, to the person having the guardianship ? Such directions that person would indeed be bound to follow: because, even before the statute, the father had the power of directing the course of his child’s education, and a court of equity would enforce a compliance with his will. Since the statute, it is yet more clear; the greater power of appointing a guardian, comprehending that of directing the education, or giving power to direct it. Accordingly, in
From what has been said, I think it clear, that an authority to direct the education of a child, may be exercised by one, while the guardianship (that is, the custody of his person and property,) may be in another. The two things, then, are not incompatible, and if not incompatible, the gift of the former is no derogation of the latter. To me, indeed, it appears that the very provision, that a child shall be educated under the direction of an individual, implies the custody by one person, and the direction of the education by another. Had the testator in this case designed to confer the guardianship, he would have conferred it totidem verbis, since it would have been the most natural and obvious mode of expressing himself; or had he designed that his child’s education should be directly conducted by the executors, he would have said that he should be educated by them; but, in declaring that he should be educated under their direction, there is the strongest implication of agency in some other,- who was to be subject to their direction. That other was-the guardian. The clause in question is indeed imperfect.: he gives his son 15,000 dollars, “and from the proceeds to educate him.” Here is something’ wanting, something to be supplied, but what, is not so clear. Yet it is clear, that the words “my executors,” are not the omitted words, for if they are inserted it will make the sentence absurd. It will make the testator provide that his executors shall educate' him, under the direction of his executors. Either the testator intended some other person, or he intended to speak impersonally; and, in- either case, he seems-
The statute concerning guardians, &c., and the interpretation of the word tuition there used, were the subject of much discussion at the bar. That word I certainly do not understand in the narrow sense of instruction or education; it is used in the broader sense of' protection, superintendence, guardianship; it comes from the Latin tueor, to defend; and hence its radical signification is defence. This is also implied by the word guardianship; which, however, is yet broader, for it implies custody; its root is the Anglo-Saxon wardian; which signifies to look, to look after, and thence by transition, to guard, to keep; and so implies custody. The-word guardian is derived immediately from the French. gardien, which itself comes from wardian; the w being; converted, as is usual, into g. Richardson’s Diet. 1 Toolce’s diversions ofPurley, 332-4, 2,Inst.., 305. Thus,, guardianship includes the idea of custody; and custody and tuition, as used in the statute, constitute guardianship„.
Admitting, therefore, that no particular words are-necessary in a will for the appointment of a testamentary guardian, it may safely be affirmed, that the language must be such as to imply a right to the custody, control, and protection of the ward. This I do not think can be fairly implied from the provision, that the child shall be educated under the direction of the executors.
The word education, here, is obviously used in the narrow sense of instruction, and does not imply tuition, and much less custody. But it is contended, that we must infer a right of control over the education, from the right of direction; a right to the possession of the person from such right of control; and the powers of a guardian over the estate from the right to the possession of the person; and thus, from the simple power
If indeed we look to authority, I think the case of the appellee.will not be much better than without it. The case of Lady Teynham v. Lennard stands alone, and may well be suspected to have been partly decided under the influence of religious jealousy and intolerance. It occurred in the very heat of sectarian controversy, early in the reign of George I. and turned on the dangers of entrusting the education of a child to a Papist mother. It was, moreover, stronger than this case; for there were in that case words of exclusion of the natural guardian; the testator said, he “expected his father to take care of the education of his child in the Protestant religion, and not leave the education of it to Ms wife.” Against this case may fairly be opposed the case stated in Bedell v. Constable, where even a devise of land to J. S. during the minority of the testator’s child, for his maintenance and education, was held not to constitute him guardian.
This view of the case renders it unnecessary to en-quire, whether the evidence adduced to shew Waller’s unfitness for the office, would have justified the refusal to permit him to qualify, even if he had been really appointed a testamentary guardian.
Upon the whole, I am of opinion, that the sentence of the Circuit Superior Court be reversed with costs,
The other judges concurred.
Sentence reversed.
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