Eldredge v. Forrestal

Mar 15, 1811
Reporters:
Before:
Sedgwick
* Sedgwick, J.

There is no doubt that an actual cotporeal seisin, or ‍​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‍a right to such seisin, in the husband during the coverture, is indispensable to entitle his widow to dower; ‍​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‍and that a legal seisin of a vested remainder is not sufficient for that purpose. As in this case ‍​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‍there was an interposing estate for life, which was not determined until after the death of the husband, it ‍​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‍is very clear that the tenant was not entitled to dower. The proceedings in the Probate Court are void ‍​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‍; and judgment must therefore be entered on the verdict.