Swaffield v Orton; 2 Jun 1847

References: [1847] EngR 576, (1847) 1 De G & Sm 326, (1847) 63 ER 1088
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A testator, after bequeathing to his daughter (a widow) an annuity, and directing his trustees to set apart a sufficient sum of stock to answer the growing payments, bequeathed his residuary personal estate to and to be equally divided between his grandson and granddaughter (by name) as tenants in common ; but in case of the death of the granddaughter, under twenty-one and unmarried, in the lifetime of the grandson, or in case of the death of the grandson in the lifetime of the granddaughter, under twenty-one, he bequeathed the whole to the survivor ; and, after directing payment, during the minority of the grandchildren, for their maintenance, the testator directed that the clear surplus of the income of his residuary estate should accumulate in the hands of his executors, and be added to the principal of the share of his grandchildren in the residue, and directed that his grandchildren respectively should not be entitled to receive his or her share, or the accumulations, until after the death of their mother (the annuitant). The granddaughter married under age, and articles were executed on her marriage, whereby it was agreed, when she became entitled to the absolute and immediate possession of any part of the residuary estate, the same and all accumulations should be settled on certain trusts for the separate use of the wife for life, with subsequent trusts for the husband and children, and a proviso referring to and dependent on the trust for accumulation in the will. On a bill filed by the granddaughter, during her mother’s lifetime, for a transfer of the fund : Held, that the direction to accumulate in the will was precarious and ineffectual, and was not rendered otherwise by the settlement, and that the granddaughter’s moiety became capital at her marriage, and that the accumulations since that period belonged to her for her separate use.