Reaume v. Chambers

• Citation: 22 Mo. 36
• Parties: REAUME et al., v. CHAMBERS et al.
• Decision Date: 31 October 1855
• Court: United States State Supreme Court of Missouri

22 Mo. 36

REAUME et al.,

v.CHAMBERS et al.

Supreme Court of Missouri.

October Term, 1855.

1. The estate of tenancy by the curtesy is coeval in existence in this state with dower. It was introduced by the territorial act of July 4th, 1807.

2. Where a tenant by the curtesy makes a conveyance, that would, if he were seized in fee, give the grantee an estate for his (grantee's) life, held, that the grantee takes an estate for the life of the grantor.

3. Where a tenant by the curtesy executes a conveyance which operates to transfer an estate for the life of such grantor, held, that so long as this estate is outstanding, it prevents a recovery of the land by those claiming under the wife of such tenant by the curtesy.

4. Lindell v. McNair, (4 Mo. 380,) explained and affirmed. The case of Lindell v. McNair merely decided that a conveyance, executed by husband and wife, after January 19, 1816, (the date of the introduction of the common law) and before June 22, 1821, (the date of the “act to enable husband and wife to convey real estate belonging to the wife,”) in conformity to the statute law then in force, regulating conveyances and the relinquishment o dower interests, was effectual to convey real estate belonging to the wife. After the introduction of the common law, the Spanish law had no force here.

5. In order that a deed of a married woman may effectually convey her estate, the requirements of the law must be complied with. If it appear from the face of the deed that the deed has not been executed in the manner required by law, there can be no presumption of its proper execution as against her.

6. A deed executed November 16, 1819, in Illinois, by husband and wife, and acknowledged before a notary public there, is ineffectual to convey the wife's real estate in Missouri.

7. Where a deed,wanting words of perpetuity, is written on the back of another deed conveying an estate in fee, and contains the following clause--“have sold, ceded, released, and transferred all their part of the land sold by their co-heirs in the sale above;” held, that this reference is not of such a character as to enlarge the life estate conveyed to a fee simple.

8. Actual seizin of the wife's land is not necessary to entitle the husband to curtesy.

9. A right of entry or of action for the possession of land may accrue to a married woman. A married woman having a right of entry which accrued before December 1st, 1835, may bring her action within twenty years after becoming discovert.

Writ of Error to St. Louis Circuit Court.

This was an action in the nature of an action of ejectment, brought by Paul Reaume and others, to recover possession of one-fifteenth part of certain premises in the possession of defendants. The premises claimed are a portion of a lot of one by forty arpens, situate in the St. Louis or Big Mound prairie, in the city of St. Louis, and confirmed by act of congress to the representatives of Francis Moreau. Both plaintiffs and defendants claim under representatives of the said Francis Moreau. The plaintiffs claim immediately and directly through their mother, Marcelite Reaume, wife of Pierre Reaume, one-eighteenth part of the piece of ground in controversy in the present suit, and one-ninetieth part of the same through their great-aunt, Marie Collin, the daughter of the said Francis Moreau. The defendants claim title as stated below in the stated case which follows, and which fully sets forth the facts of the case:

“The facts in this case were agreed; both parties excepted to the decision of the court, and the following case is agreed upon, and that the above cause be open to objections by either party; that the opinion of the Supreme Court may be had on the several points made respectively by the parties, and essential to the legal adjustment of their rights.

The plaintiffs are children of Pierre Reaume and Marcelite his wife. The said Marcelite was the daughter of Louise Moreau, who was the daughter of François Moreau and wife of Joseph Menard. Louise, wife of said Menard, died before 1818, and left surviving her three children, one of whom was said Marcelite, married to Pierre Reaume in 1815, and died in 1834, leaving the plaintiffs, her children and heirs at law, and her husband, who is yet living, surviving her. The plaintiffs are aged as follows: Odille, aged 37 years in November, 1852, and married at 18 years of age; Paul Reaume, aged at same time 33 years of age; Augustus, aged 31 years; Leonard, 29 years; François, aged 24 years. Both parties claim under representatives of François Moreau, who died before 1800, leaving seven children, viz: Joseph, Alexis, Louis, Angelique (married to Antoine Mallet), Ellen (married to Pierre Céné), Louise (married to Joseph Menard), Marie, called also Manette (married to Louis Colin). Of these children, Louis, forty years before the trial, died intestate and without issue; Louis Colin, husband of Marie, died in March, 1840, intestate and without issue; his wife died in November, 1840, intestate and without issue; they were married prior to 1818. The remaining children of François Moreau left lineal descendants.”

The defendants claim title under the deed of which the following is a copy, and also a copy of deed from P. Reaume and wife, endorsed on said original deed, the whole being on one paper. The original may be shown to the court, as it was to the Court of Common Pleas:

“Sachent tous ceux qui ces présentes verront, que nous soussignés, Joseph Hortiz et Eleonore mon épouse, Joseph Menard et Aurore Crely mon épouse, Pierre Céné et Helen Moreau mon épouse, Antoine Mallet et Angélique Moreau mon épouse, Manette Moreau, Joseph Moreau, Alexis Moreau, et Ositte mon épouse, tous héritiers de François Moreau, décédé, pour et en consideration d'une somme d' argent qui nous a été il y a quelque tems payé à notre pleine et entiere satisfaction par Mr. Pierre Chouteau, senior, et aussi pour la somme d' une piastre, argent légal des Etats Unis, qui nous a été payée à chacun de nous avant la signature de ces présentes, et dont par ces présentes nous donnons pleine et entiere quittance au dit Pierre Chouteau, et le déchargeons, lui, ses héritiers, hoirs ou ayant cause, nous avons vendu, cedé, quitté, delaissé, abandonné et transporté, comme de fait et par ces presentes nous vendons, cedons, quittons, delaissons, abandonnons et transportons au dit Pierre Chouteau, senior, ses héritiers, hoirs ou ayant cause, tous et chacun de nos droits, titres, actions et prétentions quelqu' elles puissent être tant en loi comme en cour d' équité, que nous ou l'un de nous pouvons avoir, ou peut-avoir, a un certain morceau de terre, situé au nord de la ville de St. Louis, dans le territoire du Missouri; le dit morceau de terre contenant un arpent de front sur quarante arpens en profondeur, le front borné et déterminé par la ligne ou trait quarré de toutes les terres situées sur la même ligne de front, au sud par la terre concedée à Lirette, au nord par une terre concedée à Vien et aujourd' hui la proprieté du dit Pierre Chouteau, et à l'ouest par les terres vacantes. Garantissant la dite terre libre de tous dons, dettes, douaires au hypotheque; et la garantissant chacun de nous en particuliers et avec notre épouse, contre nos héritiers ou ayant cause tant en loi comme en cour d' équité. En foi de quoi, nous les parties ci-devant designées, avons signé et scellé le present, à St. Louis, le 3 Septembre de l' année mil huit cent dix-huit.

"Les mots, avant la signature de ces présentes, approuvés et interlignés à la premiere page. ^(a)

Signé et scellé en presence de--” “State or territory of Missouri, county of St. Louis. Personally came and appeared before me, the undersigned, a justice of the peace for the county aforesaid, Joseph Menard, Joseph Orteast, and Oro Menard and Leonor Orteast, who in my presence signed the within instrument of writing, and at the same time acknowledged it to be their and each of their hands and seals, acts and deeds, for the purpose therein contained, and that they executed the same of their own free and voluntary will.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand, at my office, this ninth day of November, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and twenty.

THOMAS R. MUSIC, J. P.”

“Sachent tous ceux qui les presentes voiront, que Pierre Reaume, a cause de Marceline son épouse, fille et héritiere de Joseph Menard et Marie Louise Moreau, pour la considération de la somme de vingt piastres qu'il reconnoissent avoir reçu comptant du Sieur Pierre Chouteau, Sen^or..de St. Louis, lui ont vendu, cedé, quitté et transporté toute leur part de la terre vendu par leur cohéritiérs dans la vente cidessus. En temoignage de quoi, ils ont signés et scélé ce sixième jour du mois de Novembre, l'an mil huit cent dix-neuf--en presence des temoins, soussignés.

PIERRE sa X marque. REAUME,

(seal.)

MARCELINE sa X marque. REAUME,

(seal.)

RAPHAEL WIDEN,

)

PIERRE MENARD.”

)

“State of Illinois, Randolph county, ss. Be it remembered that before me, Raphael Widen, notary public for the county of Randolph, personally came the within named Pierre Reaume and Marceline his wife, who severally acknowledged and declared that the foregoing sale for their respective part of a tract of land in the within deed described, from them to Pierre Chouteau, senr., was their voluntary act and deed, for the purposes therein expressed.

In testimony whereof, I, Raphael Widen, have hereunto set my hand and affixed the seal of my office, this 6th day of November, A. D. one thousand eight hundred and nineteen, and of the independence of the United States the forty-fourth.

(Seal.)

RAPHAEL WIDEN, N. P.

Filed for record, June 6th, 1822.

A. GAMBLE, Clerk.”

“Pierre Chouteau, the grantee in said deed, conveyed to John Mullanphy, by deed bearing date the 30th day of October, 1819. The defendants have all the title of said John Mullanphy in the premises in question. In relation to the deed from Antoine Mallet and others to Pierre...