Coffin v. Jernegan

Nov 28, 1905
Reporters:
, ,
Before:
Loring
Loring, J.

[After the foregoing statement of the case.] The ruling was refused rightly. ‍‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‍The appellants have argued that there is nothing in the will showing more affection for the aunt and uncle who survived than for the uncle ‍‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‍who died. But the interpretation of John Mayhew’s will does not depend upon that. It depends upon the interpretation of the words which he used to ‍‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‍express his intention. Of the meaning of these words there can be no doubt. The gift over is to the heirs at law of the ‍‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‍beneficiary for life, not to the persons who would have been her heirs at law if she had died when the testator did, as the ‍‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‍appellants ask us to interpret them. See Richardson v. Wheat-land, 7 Met. 169 ; Putnam v. Story, 132 Mass. 205, 210.

Exceptions overruled.