18 Ala. 819 | Ala. | 1851
The testator’s legatees are his wife and children, and several grand-children, who are the children of one of his living daughters. After specific legacies to each, he disposes of the residue thus : “ The remainder of my property not before enumerated, and what I may hereafter come into possession of, I give to be equally divided among my legatees, agreeably to the laws of the Stale in which I reside;” and he resided, it appears, in this State. If the word “ legatees” is to be taken in its literal sense, it applies to and includes his wife, children and grand-children who are mentioned in the will, to all of whom, by a previous part of the will, he had given legacies. But we think it appears by the will itself, that the testator intended the residue of his estate for such of his lega
The children claim the whole residue, and their counsel refers us to Bell & Wife v. Hogan, 1 Stew. 536; Heirs of Capal v. McMillan, adm’r, 8 Port. 204; Eddings et al. v. Long, 10 Ala. 203, and Bell & Wife v. Mason’s Adm’r, 10 ib. 334, and other authorities, and contends that the parol evidence which was given in the Orphans’ Court, and which consisted of the testator’s declarations that he intended the residue for his children, was admissible to explain an ambiguity in the will, the counsel contending that there is an ambiguity in respect of the word “ legatees.” But the authorities cited by the counsel for the grand-children are conclusive, in our judgment, against the admissibility of parol evidence of the testator’s declarations. There was certainly no latent ambiguity. There was error, therefore, in admitting the evidence and in excluding the testator’s widow, but she is no party to this writ of error, and this error has worked no injury to the grand-children, since they are excluded by the will, according to the construction we have above placed upon it. The decree of the Orphans’ Court is consequently affirmed.