Orr v. Hodgson

• Decision Date: 11 March 1819
• Citation: 17 U.S. 453,4 L.Ed. 613,4 Wheat. 453
• Parties: ORR v. HODGSON and Wife, et al
• Court: U.S. Supreme Court

17 U.S. 453

4 Wheat. 453

4 L.Ed. 613

ORR v. HODGSON and Wife, et al.

March 11, 1819

APPEAL from the Circurt Court for the District of Columbia. The appellant filed his bill in equity in the court below, stating, that on the 10th day of January 1816, he purchased of the defendants, William Hodgson and Portia, his wife, and John Hopkins and Cornelia, his wife, a tract of land called Archer's Hope, situate in the county of James' City, in the state of Virginia, for the sum of $5000 and gave his bond to the said Hodgson and Hopkins for

the payment of the said purchase-money. That, at the time of the purchase, the defendants affirmed to the plaintiff, that they were seised in right of the said Portia and Cornelia, of a good, sure and indefeasible estate of inheritance, in fee-simple, in the said tract of land, and had full power and lawful authority to convey the same, and in consequence of such affirmation, the plaintiff made the purchase, and gave his bond, as aforesaid.

And further stating, that he had since discovered, that the defendants had no title to the said lands, but that the title thereto was either vested in the children of the Countess Barziza, or that the commonwealth of Virginia was entitled to them by escheat. That Colonel Philip Ludwell, a native of the said commonwealth, being seised in fee of the said lands, had two daughters, Hannah and Lucy, born of the same mother, in Virginia. That, some years before the year 1767, he removed with his family, including his said two daughters, to England, where he died, in the year 1767, having, by his last will, devised all his estates to his said two daughters, and appointed as their guardians, Peter Paradise, John Paradise, of the city of London, and William Dampier. That Hannah, one of the said daughters, married William Lee, a native of Virginia, and died, leaving issue, two daughters, the said defendants, Portia Hodgson and Cornelia Hopkins, who are citizens of Virginia, residing in the district of Columbia. That Lucy Ludwell, the other daughter above mentioned, during her infancy, to wit, in May 1769, at the city of London, married the said John Paradise, a British subject, by whom she had issue, a daughter, named Lucy, born in England, about the year 1770. That the said Lucy Paradise, daughter of the said John and Lucy Paradise, on the 4th of April 1787, at the said city of London, married Count Barziza, a Venetian subject, by whom she had issue, a son, named John, born in the city of Venice, on the 10th of August 1796. That the said John Paradise, in the year 1787, came to Virginia, with his wife, and returned with her to England, in 1789, where he died, in 1796, having, by his last will, devised all his personal estate, charged with some pecuniary legacies, to his wife, but making no disposition of his real estate, and leaving no issue, but the Countess Barziza. That the said Countess Barziza died intestate, in Venice, on the 1st of August 1800, leaving her said sons, John and Philip, her only issue; and that neither her sons, nor herself, nor her husband, were ever in the United States. That the said Count Barziza was also dead. That the said Lucy Paradise, after the death of the said John Paradise, her husband, treated the said lands as her own, exercising acts of ownership over the same, and about the year 1805, returned to Virginia, where she died intestate, in 1814, being in possession of said lands at her decease, and leaving no issue but the two sons of Countess Barziza above mentioned, who, at the time of her death, had not become citizens or subjects of any other state or power than Venice and Austria.

That by marriage articles, made before the marriage of John Paradise and Lucy Ludwell, between the said John Paradise, of the first part, the said Peter Paradise, his father of the second part, the said Lucy Ludwell of the third part, the said William Dampier, of the fourth part, and James Lee and Robert Carry, of the fifth part, reciting the said intended marriage, and that the said Peter Paradise had agreed to pay his son 4000l. sterling, at the marriage, and that his executors should pay 4000l. sterling more to Lee and Carry, upon the trusts thereinafter mentioned. And that the said John Paradise and Lucy had agreed, that all the estates of the said Lucy Ludwell should be settled as thereinafter mentioned, but that, by reason of her infancy, no absolute settlement of the same could then be made. It was witnessed, that in consideration of the marriage, and for making provision for the said Lucy Ludwell, and the issue of the said John Paradise on her body to be begotten, and for the consideration of ten shillings, to the said John Paradise, paid by the said Lee and Carry, and for divers other good causes and valuable considerations, him, the said John Paradise, thereunto moving, he, the said John Paradise, covenanted with said Lee and Carry, that if the marriage took effect, he would make, or cause to be made, such acts and deeds as would convey all the estates of the said Lucy Ludwell to the said Lee and Carry, upon trust, as to that palt of the real property, which was situate in Virginia: 1. To the use of John Paradise for life, remainder to the use of all or any of the children of the marriage, for such estates (not exceeding estates-tail) as John Paradise and the said Lucy Ludwell, by deed, during the coverture, or as the survivor of them, by deed or will, should appoint, and in default of such appointment, to the use of all the children of the marriage, as tenants in common in tail, with cross-remainders in tail, remainder to the use of such person as the said Lucy Ludwell should appoint, and in default of such appointment, to the use of the survivor of John Paradise and Lucy Ludwell in fee-simple: 2. With power to the husband and wife, to make leases not exceeding twenty-one years: 3. With power to the trustees to sell any part of the estate, and apply the proceeds to the purchase of other lands in England, subject to the use of the marriage articles. And as to the personal estate of the said Lucy Ludwell, to the use of John Paradise for life, remainder to Lucy Ludwell for life, remainder to the children of the marriage, as the parents should appoint, and in default of such appointment, to the use of all the children of the marriage, share and share alike: but if there should be no children of the marriage, or being such, if all of them should die before the age of twenty-one, or marriage, then to the use of such person as the said Lucy Ludwell should appoint, and in default of such appointment, to the survivor of the said John Paradise and Lucy Ludwell, in absolute property. And as to the second of the said sums of 4000l., to the trustees, upon trust for the use of John Paradise for life, remainder for Lucy Ludwell for life, remainder to the children of the marriage, in the same manner as the personal estate of the said Lucy Ludwell was settled: provided, that if there should be no issue of the marriage, then to the use of John Paradise in absolute property: provided also, that it should and might be lawful for the trustees, with the consent of the said John Paradise and Lucy Ludwell, or the survivor of them, and after the death of such survivor, of their or his own authority, to lay out the same in lands in England, to the use of John Paradise for life, remainder to Lucy Ludwell for life, remainder to the children of the marriage in the same manner as the lands of the said Lucy Ludwell were settled. That after the death of the said Peter Paradise, the said John Paradise, as his executor, paid the last mentioned 4000l. to the trustees aforesaid, who invested it in the British funds, and by deed dated the 8th of December 1783, and to which the said John Paradise and Lucy Ludwell were parties, they declared the same subject to the uses of the marriage settlement.

The bill further alleged, that the plaintiff, upon discovering the foregoing circumstances, applied to the defendants, and requested them to rescind...