5 N.J. Eq. 349 | New York Court of Chancery | 1846
The testator declares it to be his will; that his beloved wife have her lawful right of dower out of his estate; that his executor sell and dispose of all his estate, both real and personal; that his debts be paid; that his brother John have $500, and his brother James $100; and that the resí and residue of his estate be divided- between his two sons.
It is contended- on the part- of the defendants, that under this will, matters stand, in reference to the widow, only in the con - dition in which they would have stood if the wife had not been at all mentioned in the will; that as in law parlance “ dower” relates only to lands, we must substitute the word “lands” for the word “ estate,” and read the clause in which the wife is mentioned thus: “ 1 will that my wife have her lawful right of dower out of my lands.”
If the decedent had made no will, the widow would have had her lawful thirds in both the real and'personal estate. Did the testator intend, by making the will, to cut her off from the personal estate ? If he did, he had only to omit to mention hc«
If it be said that the substitution of the word “ lands” for the word “ estate” would make the clause plain; the substitution of the word “thirds*’ for the word “dower” would make it quite as plain. If the words had been “ dower in' my real and personal estate,” the word “ dower” would not limit the interest to the realty; and the word “ estate” includes both real and personal property. What the testator meant by the whole sentence, is the matter to be determined.
I am inclined to think that the word “ dower,” as it stands in the sentence, is not to be taken as having been used in its technical sense; but is to be taken as having been used as equivalent to “thirds.”. We' are not without eases in which particular words used in a will, opposed to the intention of the testator, have been rejected as having been used by mistake, or through ignorance of their force, or have been construed to have the meaning of other words: 2 Myl. and Kean, 149; 6 Sim. 49; 2 Dess. 32; 2 Munf. 234; 1 Ibid, 549; 1 Russell and Myl. 407; 6 Mad. 343; 3 Paige, 9; 2 Paige, 122; 2 A. K. Marsh. 466.
If the different provisions stood in the following order: My
The description the testator gives of the interest- the widow is to have in this estate, is, “ her lawful right of dower.” I cannot doubt that the word “ dower” may stand so connected in a will as to mean the lawful third of the personal as well as of the real estate; and I think it means that in this will.
On the bill as it stands, and in. view of the facts which the demurrer must be taken to admit, J am of opinion that the demurrer should be overruled.
It 'is not necessary now to examine the question, whether parol evidence of the declarations of the testator would be admissible. The situation of the estate, as to the comparative amounts of realty and personalty, might certainly'be shown. Suppose the estate consisted of $100 in land, and $10.000 in personalty; the court would not shut its eyes to that fact; and it would have a legitimate influence on the reading of the will. To this extent the eases go without difficulty; 12 Price, 216; 4 Russ. 454.
Demurrer overruled.-