UNITED STATES SUPREME COURT DECISIONS ON-LINE

James Bosley, in his will, after sundry specific devises and bequests, devised and bequeathed all his lands and other real estate in Baltimore, Cecil, and Alleghany Counties, in Maryland, and also in Florida, and his house and lot in Santa Croix, and all the real estate he might have elsewhere, to his wife Elizabeth, her heirs and assigns, in trust to sell the same and divide the net proceeds thereof, with all the residue of his estate, equally between herself and the children of his brother.

After making his will, he sold all of the lands, particularly mentioned in the residuary clause of the will above stated, except some lands lying in Baltimore County. At the time of making the codicil hereafter mentioned, he held some of the proceeds of these sales in bonds and other securities, and with the residue had purchased other property.

He afterwards made a codicil by which be devised his summer residence in Baltimore County to his wife, and also the securities he held for the lands sold in Cecil County, and directed all the property he had acquired after the date of his will to be sold and the proceeds to be equally divided between his wife and her sister Margaret. Then followed a residuary clause in the following words: clubjuris

Page 55 U. S. 391

"Lastly, my pew in St. Paul's Church and all my other property, real or personal, and all money in bank belonging to me at the time of my decease I give, devise and bequeath unto my said wife Elizabeth and her heirs forever, and I ratify and confirm my said last will in everything except where the same is hereby revoked and altered as aforesaid."

The residuary clause in this codicil is inconsistent with that in the will, and consequently revokes it. But the devise of the property specifically mentioned in the will is not revoked by the clause in the codicil.

After the execution of the codicil, the testator agreed to lease some land for the term of ninety-nine years, renewable forever, a ground rent being reserved upon the same. The lessee was to pay cash for a part, and the residue of the purchase money was to remain on interest, as ground rent, which the lessee could extinguish at any time by the payment of the principal sum.

This property was a part of that which was specifically mentioned in the will, and not revoked by the clause in the codicil.

But the conduct of the testator in making this agreement so altered the condition of the property that it amounted to a revocation of the devise, and manifests an intention on his part, when taken in connection with other circumstances of the case, to give it to his wife under the residuary clause in the codicil.

The bill was filed by the plaintiffs in error, who were the children of Dr. John Bosley, mentioned in the will of James Bosley.

That part of the will which gave occasion to the controversy is stated in the opinion, as are also the material facts in the case.

The circuit court decided that the residuary devise in the will was revoked by the residuary clause in the codicil; that the devise of the property, specifically mentioned in the will, was not revoked by the clause in the codicil, and ordered an account to be taken of such part as remained subject to the trust, one-half of the proceeds whereof to be paid over to the complainants, and that the testator's agreement, made after the date of the will and the codicil, to lease a part of that real estate for a term of ninety-nine years, the principal sum payable at the option of the lessee, operated to revoke the devise as to that part.

From this decree, the complainants appealed to this Court. clubjuris

Page 55 U. S. 394