Quoy que je sois presentement en perfaite santé de corps & d'esprit, cependant ne sçachant de quelle manière il plaira à Dieu de disposer de moy dans ma couche, Je trove à propos de marquer jcy més dernieres volontés: En cas qu'il luy plaise de me retirer de ce monde, si c'est sa volonté de donner dés jours à mon enfant, Je luy laisse generalement tout ce qui peut m' appartenir, & supplie trés humblement Madame Foubert, ma soeur Lorin & Mr' le Bas d'en prendre soin; J'espere que Mr. Foubert, & le Major, à la consideration de feu son paure Pere, luy rendront lés services dont il aura besoin, & que Dieu ne l'abandonnera point: Je l'en supplie de toute mon ame, comme aussi de benir toute la famille: fait a Londres ce 16th de Novembre 1693. par moy, Katherine de Granmare.
After which the said Katherine annexed a Codicil to her Will, in these Words, viz.
En cas qu'il plaise à Dieu de retirer mon Enfant aussy bien que moy, Je donne à Madamoiselle le Bas ma bague de Diamans, mon Ecritoire garnie d'argent, & une boëte de rubants neufs; Je donne à Madamoiselle Peireaus mon habit brun doublé couleur de paille, & mon habit Jaune; une demie douzanie de més Chemises: Je donne au fils à Jacob dix livres sterlings pour le mettre en Métier; & à son pere ce qui se trovera dés habits de mon Mary: Je donne a Catharine Williams, ma filleule, dix livres sterlings pour la mettre en métier; Tout le reste de ce qui m' appartient tant en Meubles, que Linge, Vaissell d'argent, & Argent Monnoye, qui m'est dû, Je le laisse à ma soeur Lorin, & a mess' de Cresseron, pour etre egallement partagé, entre eux; l'excepte seulement le portrait de mon Cher Mary, ma bague Turquoise, que Je donne à ma soeur Lorin, & la prie de garder l'une & l'autre tant qu'elle vivra: Je donne aussy a Monsieur Cresseron [195] ma montre d' Or que le souhaite qu'il garde & porte pour l'amour de moy: fait à Londres ce 16th Novembre par moy Catherine Granmare.
Then she was delivered of a Daughter, and a few Hours after died, and the Daughter did survive her near two Years, and then died: And after her Mother's Death (there being no Executor named) Administration of the Estate of the Testatrix was committed during the Minority of the Child with the Will annexed; but the Appellant possest herself of the Estate, being about 600l. Value. Then after the Child's Death, the Appellant as next of Kin took Administration to the Child, and also to Mrs. Granmare.
The Respondent exhibited his Bill, claiming a Moiety of the Residuum by Force of the Codicil; the Appellant by Answer insisted upon the Invalidity of the Agreement between Peter and Katherine, but that being waived, the Question arose upon the Words of the Will, and particularly these, donner dés jours, and 'twas insisted, That nothing was designed to the Respondent, but only in case the Child were still-born, or should die in her lying in; whereupon the Court ordered the Cause to be continued in the Paper, and that both Sides should take Time to procure the Opinion of Frenchmen born, and acquainted with the Laws of France; and the Cause coming on again to be heard before the Lord Chancellor; and upon reading of several Opinions of French Gentlemen bred to the Laws of that Country, the Court declared, that the Respondent was well intitled to his Moiety of the Residue, after the particular Legacies, Debts, Funerals, and other Allowances deducted, and decreed the same accordingly.
It was argued on the Behalf of the Appellant, That this Decree was erroneous; that the proper Signification of those Words, was no more than to give Life, that it was so translated at Doctors Commons; That that Translation does agree with the Opinion of several of the most learned Divines amongst the French Refugees here; That 'tis so interpreted in the Famous Dictionary of the French Academy, dedicated to that King, where the Words are as follows, viz. les jours au pluriel, signifie la vie, That Days in the Plural signify Life, without any Determination of Time; That there are few Frenchmen of any Understanding, but will acknowledge, That by lés jours d'une personne, the Days of one (whether they be many or few in Number) must be understood the Life, &c. That the Testatrix here could mean no other by Days, but Life; when she said, That in case it pleased God to take her out of this World, if it was his Will to give Days, to give Life to her Child, she left it all that belonged to her; knowing well, That if the Child was born alive, it must be maintain'd from that Moment, out of what was so left it; that it appeared from the Preamble of the Codicil, viz. '[196] In case it shall please God to take away my Child, as well as my self, then, &c. That the Testatrix never intended the Estate to go over, unless the Child died as well as her self in her lying in.
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