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United Kingdom House of Lords Decisions |
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You are here: BAILII >> Databases >> United Kingdom House of Lords Decisions >> Catherine Monro or Rose, and Husband . Dean of Fac. (Jeffrey - Lushington v. George Ross - Brougha - Kea - Dundas [1830] UKHL 4_WS_289 (16 July 1830) URL: http://www.bailii.org/uk/cases/UKHL/1830/4_WS_289.html Cite as: [1830] UKHL 4_WS_289 |
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Page: 289↓
(1830) 4 W&S 289
CASES DECIDED IN THE HOUSE OF LORDS, ON APPEAL FROM THE COURTS OF SCOTLAND, 1830.
2 d Division.
No. 35.
Subject_Parent and Child — Foreign. —
Where a Scotchman by birth, who was heir of entail in possession, and proprietor of estates in Scotland, but in early life settled in England, making occasional visits to Scotland, had, by an illicit connexion with an Englishwoman, a son born to him in England, and afterwards came to Scotland with the child and mother, where, after a residence of fifteen days, he married her; and they remained in Scotland about two months, visited his estates, and returned to England with the child, where they remained until his death ;—Found, (reversing the judgment of the Court of Session), that the child was not entitled to the benefit of legitimation by the subsequent marriage of his parents.
The late Alexander Ross was by birth a Scotchman, and went in early life to London, where he settled in business as an army-agent. He succeeded in the year 1786 to the entailed estate of Cromarty in Scotland; and he also inherited a paternal estate called Overskibo, and was enrolled as a freeholder in two of the counties of Scotland. After he went to England, his residence was either in London or its neighbourhood. He married a lady in England, but she died in April 1809, without being survived by a son. He then formed an illicit connexion in London with an Englishwoman, Elizabeth Woodman, (who assumed the name of Mrs Saunders, being the Scotch for his own name, Alexander), by whom he had a son, (the respondent), born in London in February 1811. Mr Ross was in the custom of making occasional visits to Scotland for various purposes, such as voting as a freeholder at elections, letting the leases on his estate, amusement, or seeing his friends. In May 1815 he took lodgings at Newhaven, near Edinburgh, and arrived there on the 25th, with
Page: 290↓
The respondent, under the name of George Ross, and describing himself as the only lawful son of Alexander Ross, then took out a brieve for the purpose of having himself served lawful heir of tailzie to his father in the estate of Cromarty. Under that entail, the estate is descendible to heirs-male of Alexander Ross, whom failing, to the heirs of a party, now represented by the appellant Mrs Rose. That lady immediately executed against the respondent a summons of bastardy before the Commissaries, setting forth, that Alexander Ross having died without heirs-male lawfully procreated of his body, she had right to the estate of Cromarty as nearest and lawful heir of tailzie; averring, that the respondent was a bastard, seeing that he was begotten by Alexander Ross, a domiciled Englishman, in fornication with an Englishwoman, and born a bastard in England; and concluding, that it should be found and declared accordingly.
The Commissaries, after allowing a proof, found, “on the whole facts of the case, and in respect that no sufficient grounds have been alleged for denying to the defender the benefit of legitimation by the subsequent marriage of his parents, as recognized in the law of Scotland, assoilzied the defender.” *
The appellant having presented a bill of advocation, the Lord Ordinary reported the case; and, after a hearing before all the Judges, the Lord Ordinary, as advised by the Court, refused the bill, and the Court, on review, adhered. †
_________________ Footnote _________________
* See the opinions of the Commissaries laid before the House of Lords, Appendix, No. III.
† 5. Shaw and Dunlop, 605.—The Opinions will be found in the Appendix, No. IV. Lords Justice-Clerk, Glenlee, Craigie, Balgray, Gillies, Pitmilly, Alloway, Meadow-bank, Mackenzie, and Medwyn, were in favour of the judgment. Lords President, Cringletie, and Eldin, dissented.
Page: 291↓
Mrs Rose appealed.
Appellant.—1. The question is, What is the legal effect of the subsequent marriage in Scotland, where the child was begotten and born in a foreign country. By the law of Scotland, an effectual marriage is constituted by the interchange of consent ad ipsum matrimonium, and the law, from the posterior public celebration, infers a prior private interchange. The latter is held to be the true period of the nuptials, and thus the subsequens matrimonium works not to make the child which was a bastard a lawful child, but to declare that the child which, until the public celebration, had been erroneously reputed a bastard, was, and had been, from the first carnal intercourse of the parents, lawfully begotten. But this is a mere presumption, which rests on the fact that there was no impediment which prevented the practicability of that private interchange of consent of marriage. If there were such an impediment, as for example an intervening marriage, there is no room for the presumption; and posterior marriage between the parents will not legitimate the child, who cannot, from the circumstances in which his parents stood, be any thing but a bastard begotten. In like manner, since marriage is not, and cannot be constituted by mere interchange of consent in England, the child begotten in England must have been begotten in fornication. The presumption arising from a public ceremony in Scotland, that the bastardy was a mistake, and that truly from the beginning the child was lawful, cannot be admitted. The fact, in such a case, overcomes the presumption. It is an erroneous view to treat this presumption of the private interchange of the matrimonial consent, and the consequent constitution of matrimony, as a mere fiction, and to maintain that all inquiry whether there was a possibility of a consent is excluded. It is a rational and useful rule. The law lets in a presumption of a doubtful fact, of which, from its very nature, no direct evidence can generally be obtained; but a wise limit is placed to this indulgence, and wherever there is an impracticability of the event having happened, then the presumption will not apply. The law deals in fiction when it assumes as true some fact which certainly did not happen, in order to let in an equity which could not otherwise touch the real circumstances of the case. But it deals only in presumptions, where, in a doubtful case, and in default of conclusive evidence, a fact which is likely to be true, or for the evident interests of society it is wise to be inclined to believe to be true, is taken to be true. In a fiction, the law will exclude the inquiry of possibility or impossibility. In
Page: 292↓
2. But, independent of the preceding argument, the question must be decided by the law of the domicile of the parents at the date of the marriage. That domicile was England; and it is undoubted that the marriage could not, by the law of that country, have any effect to legitimize the respondent. In answer to this, it is quite irrelevant to say that the question has arisen in a Scottish Court, because, if this were admissible, there could be no question for decision: neither is it relevant that Scotland was the locus contractus, because there is no question as to the effect of that contract on the rights of the contracting parties, but as to a supposed right in the respondent; besides, the contract, although constituted by the forms of the law of Scotland, had reference to England for execution; and the parties were domiciled English subjects, the respondent's mother being a native of England, never in Scotland till the marriage took place, and never in that country thereafter: neither is it relevant to allege that Mr Ross was a native of Scotland, for although that may be an element of judgment in relation to a question of civil jurisdiction, and even in that question is, per se, of little weight, yet it cannot be of any moment in a question as to civil status; and the same observation applies to the circumstance of the possession of property in Scotland.
Respondent.—1. The general rule of the Scottish law is, that the children of persons lawfully married, whether born before or after marriage, are lawful children in all respects, including
Page: 293↓
But it is said that this rests on a fiction, viz. that the law feigns the father and mother to have been married antecedent to the conception and birth of the child; that in this case, the respondent having been born in England, (in which special solemnities are required to the celebration of marriage), the fiction cannot be entertained as possible. It is certain that the Roman imperial edicts contain no such fiction. It is true that the canonists state it, and Mr Erskine repeats it after them. The fiction has been suggested for the purpose of supporting a necessary exception to the general rule. The exception is, that children born in adultery cannot be legitimated. This just exception is said to be the result of the fiction, that to found legitimation by subsequent marriage, the marriage of the parties must have been legally possible at the date
Page: 294↓
2. The law of England cannot govern this case. The question relates to the effect of a Scottish marriage, and to the succession to a Scottish estate, and to a Scotsman. It must therefore be regulated by the law of Scotland, precisely on the same principle as the decision in the case of Birtwhistle,
* in relation to an English estate, was held to be governed by the law of England, although the marriage was made in Scotland. The appellant has no right to challenge the respondent's status except with reference to the question of the succession to the estate of Cromarty; and therefore, although in form it has been tried in a Court not competent
_________________ Footnote _________________ * 5. Barn. & Cres. 438. This case was appealed, and after taking the opinions of all the Judges, the House of Lords proposed to them the Queries which will be found in the Appendix, No. VI.
Page: 295↓
Earl of Eldon.—My Lords, In this cause, which has been called the legitimation cause, it is not my intention to trouble your Lordships with more than a very few words. It is merely to state, that the points which have been raised in the discussion of this case have not escaped my attention, and that I do not give an opinion upon it without maturely considering the cases which have been previously decided. I have looked through all the judgments in the Consistorial Court, and the judgments of the learned Judges in the Court of Session, in order to correct the opinion I had formed upon those former cases, and which I had thought it right and consistent with my duty to express. I have listened with the utmost attention also to that which was stated at your Lordships' bar; and the result I have come to is, that it is not possible for me to find that the respondent was legitimate:—If I am right in that, the judgment must be reversed.
Page: 296↓
_________________ Footnote _________________
* See Appendix, No. V.
Page: 297↓
“I do not enter into the question, whether, if this marriage had been celebrated in Scotland, it might have had the effect of legitimating the child, because I think it is not necessary;”—
I agree with the noble and learned Lord—I do not think it necessary;—“but I must say that I cannot conceive how it could have that effect.” The opinion of that noble and learned Lord is quite obvious from what I have stated, and from a subsequent passage, in which he considered the position of the child at the time of its birth, and the character stamped upon it at the time of its birth, as deciding the case. He afterwards says:—
“So I apprehend that this child was born illegitimate, according to the law of the country in which he was born— according to the condition of his mother, of whom he was born, and according to the state of his father, who was at the time a person unquestionably domiciled in England.”
Taking the whole of the judgment of the noble Lord together, I should conclude that he was. of opinion, that if the child was illegitimate at the time of his birth, and according to the law of the country where it was born, that character was stamped upon it indelibly—no subsequent marriage could render him legitimate. But it is not necessary to decide that question, for this reason—These parties were domiciled in England—the child was born in England—the marriage did not take place indeed in England, but the parties went to Scotland for the purpose expressly of being married; and having been married, they returned to England, to the place of their former domicile. I wish, agreeably to that which has been stated by my noble and learned friend, that this case should be decided with reference to this state of facts, without entering upon those other questions which the case may raise. I am of opinion, upon that ground, that the judgment of the Court below should be reversed.
Earl of Eldon.—My Lords, The learned Lord's conclusion appears to me to be perfectly correct, that it is your Lordships' duty to reverse this judgment. Under the circumstances of this case I will just take this opportunity of saying, that I have given the greatest consideration to that which has been expressed in the judgments of your Lordships' House, and that stated at the bar of the House by the Counsel, and to the decisions in Scotland with respect to matters of divorce; with reference to which I shall say no more at present than this, that I pledge myself to give the best assistance in my power to your Lordships, if I live till the next Session of Parliament, in endeavouring to settle what the law is upon that subject. Your Lordships know the Judges of the Consistorial Courts have differed with the Court of Session with respect to this very important point. It will be in the recollection of some of your Lordships, that, some few years ago, a person who was divorced in one of the Courts in Scotland, formed the opinion that he might marry again: he did marry again; he had been
Page: 298↓
My Lords, in respect of the present case I will merely say, that I entirely concur in every thing that has fallen from my noble and learned friends. All Jurists agree, that the personal quality of a man must be decided by the law of the country in which he was born. I could refer your Lordships to authors of almost every country in Europe, particularly to Dutch writers, to prove this. This person was born in England a bastard, and by the law of England bastardy is indelible. He cannot become legitimated.
Boullenois, a French writer, in a commentary on the decision of one of the Courts of that country, says, in the case of De Conti, that although a native of a country, according to the laws of which a marriage subsequent to the birth of a child renders such child legitimate, is rendered legitimate by a marriage of his parents in England after
_________________ Footnote _________________ * Case of Lolley, 7th Dec. 1812. Russell and Ryan's Crown Cases, 237.
Page: 299↓
The House of Lords “ordered and adjudged, that, under the special circumstances of this case, the interlocutors complained of, in so far as they find the respondent George Ross entitled to the benefit of legitimation by the subsequent marriage of his parents, and in so far as they find expenses due by the appellant, be reversed.”
Appellant's Authorities.—Huberi Prælect. de Conflictu Legum, 2. 1. 3. § 8. 10. 12.; Burgundius de Statutis, p. 10. 18.; Voet. de Stat. p. 137. 319.; Hertius de Selects, &c. 1. 4. 8.; Hofacher, Prin. Jur. Civ. 1. p. 112–14.; Merlin, vol. x. § 7. Voorda de Statutis, 3. 47. in Bib. Fac.; Pothier, Coutumes d'Orleans, 11. 1. 7.; Cod. de Incolis, 1. 27. D. ad Municipalem, § 1.; Muller, Domicilium, § 17. 64. 76. Forum Contr. § 23.; Boullenois, Traité de la Personalité, &c. vol. i. p. 62. Christophe de Conti, June 21. 1668, (Guessiere, Journal des Audiences, No. 3. p. 283.) Bruce, April 15. 1790, (see Bell's Cases, 519.) Douglas, Feb. 7. 1792, (2928.); and March 18. 1796, (House of Lords.) Ommaney, March 18. 1796, (House of Lords.) Hog, June 7. 1791, (8193.; Bell, 491.: affirmed, May 7. 1792.)
Bempde v. Johnstone, (3. Vesey, jun. 198.) Sommerville, (5. Vesey, jun. 758.) Strothers, July 1. 1803, (No. 4. Ap. For. Comp.) Selkrig, (2. Dow, 230.)
Pedie v. Grant, June 14. 1822, (reversed July 5. 1825, ante, i. 717.)
Morecombe v. M'Lellan, June 27. 1801, (F. C.)
Shedden v. Patrick, July 1. 1803, (No. 6. Ap. Foreign): affirmed, March 2. 1808. Strathmore Peerage, March 1821, in House of Lords. See Appendix, No. V.
Respondent's Authorities.—Pothier, vol. iii. p. 320.; Menochius, p. 662. No. 16.; Schurff Cent. 2. 56. No. 4.; Code Nap. Mot. vol. iii. p. 15, 16. and 61.; Perezius, p. 400. No. 26.; Huber de Conflictu Legum, § 9. 12. 13. 15.; Dictionnaire des Arrêts, vol. i. p. 777. and vol. ii. p. 546.; 2. Craig, 13. 16.; l. Ersk. 6. 52.; 1. Bank. 5. 54.; Hertius de Collisione Legum, § 4. 10. 16.
Solicitors: Richardson and Connell— A. Mundell,—Solicitors.