Public-domain · open source
OpenJurist

25 Ga. 622

Bryan v. Rooks

Supreme Court of Georgia

Decided June 15, 1858

Supreme Court of Georgia · decided 1858-06-15

In Equity, from Twiggs county. Tried before Judge Lamar, March Term, 1858. This bill was filed by James A. Rooks, administrator of Tabitha Adams, deceased, wife of Obudiah Adams, against William Bryan, executor of Daniel Massey, deceased.

Good law ✅— No negative treatment on recordhow we know

Decided 1858-06-15

How this case has been cited

Cited by 5 later decisions — most recently March 1942

5 state decisions

201858186018701880189019001910192019301940decided

Later decisions citing this case, by decade. The current decade is in progress, and our corpus holds fewer opinions from the most recent years, so the latest bars are undercounted — not a real decline.

View the full empirical analysis of this case →

¶1By the Court.

McDonald J.

¶2delivering the opinion.

¶3We affirm the judgment of the Court below. The legacy, under her father’s will, had vested in Mrs. Adams before her death. Her husband having survived her, was entitled to administration on her estate, real and personal, and on her rights and credits; and as such administrator, might have recovered and enjoyed them, and they would not have been subject to distribution. Cobb, 294. But the husband having neither reduced his wife’s property to possession during her life, nor administered on her estate after her death, it is now insisted that her estate goes to her next of kin, and that complainant, as her administrator, cannot recover; that the estate has already been distributed according to law. The statute declares that the husband shall hold it, and that it shall not be subject to distribution. It is not, therefore, distributable amongst the wife’s next of kin. It must vest in the husband, and why are not his representatives entitled to it ? Squib vs. Wyn, 1 Peere Williams, 378; Cart vs. Rees, cited in this case; Elliot vs. Collier, 3 Atkyns, 526; Stewart vs. Stewart, 7th John. Ch.Rep., 229. The right of administration following the right of estate, the husband’s next of kin are entitled to the administration. But if any one else administer, even if it be the next of kin of the wife, he shall hold it in trust for the next of kin of the husband or his legatees.

¶4Judgment affirmed.

/25/ga/622 · .json · Public domain