Henry Wedderburn, Esq, Second Son of Charles Wedderburn of Gosford v Sir Peter Halket of Pitfirran, Bart, Alexander Hart, His Curator Ad Litem, and John Wedderburn of Gosford, Repondents: HL 19 Mar 1770

Entail – Power to Alter Order of Succession.-
Entail taken to the makers and longest liver in liferent, and to their eldest son in fee, whom failing his second son, andc., with a prohibition against altering the order of succession; but no restraint against selling or charging the estate with debt. The eldest son, who succeeded after the maker, finding his own eldest son an idiot, altered the order of succession, and gave the estate to his second son, and the heirs precisely marked out by the original entail. Held, that as he was fiar of the estate, he could exercise this power, more especially seeing that the deed so executed had not in view fraudulently to alter the order of succession, but merely to provide for a contingency that had not been contemplated by the maker.

Citations:

[1770] UKHL 2 – Paton – 231, (1770) 2 Paton 231

Links:

Bailii

Jurisdiction:

Scotland

Trusts

Updated: 26 October 2022; Ref: scu.561669