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Brightman v. BrightmanBrightman v. Brightman

Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court
Oct 15, 1868
Reporters:
Before:
Chapman
Chapman, C. J.

The clause in Israel Brightman’s will devising certain real estate “ to Daniel ‍‌‌​‌‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌​​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‍and John Brightman and to their heirs and assigns,” taken by itself, gave them an estate in fee simple. The subsequent clause providing that “ if ‍‌‌​‌‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌​​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‍the said Daniel or John shall decease, leaving no issue of his body lawfully begotten, then what I have devised to such one, I here devise ‍‌‌​‌‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌​​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‍to the survivor thereof and his heirs and assigns,” created an executory devise limited upon that fee simple. Richardson v. Noyes, 2 Mass. 56. But the contingency did not ‍‌‌​‌‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌​​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‍happen; for Daniel died first, and left issue; and when John died Daniel did not survive him. Upon the decease of Daniel leaving issue, the contingency ‍‌‌​‌‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌​​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‍mentioned became impossible, and the estate in fee simple remained. Judgment for the tenant.

Case Details

Case Name: Brightman v. Brightman
Court Name: Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court
Date Published: Oct 15, 1868
Citation: 100 Mass. 238
Court Abbreviation: Mass.
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