cases where any heir at law shall be liable to pay the debts of his ancestor in regard of any lands, tenements, or hereditaments descending to him, and shall sell, aliene, or make over the same, before any action brought, or process sued out against him, that such heir at law shall be answerable for such debt or debts, in an action or actions of debt, to the value of the land so by him sold, aliened, or made over; in which cases all creditors shall be preferred, as in actions against executors and administrators, and such executions shall be taken out upon any judgment or judgments so obtained against such heir, to the value of the said land, as if the same were his own proper debt or debts; saving that the lands, tenements and hereditaments bonâ fide aliened before the action brought, shall not be liable to such execution. VI. Provided always, and be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid, That where any action of debt upon any specialty is brought against any heir, he may plead riens per descent, at the time of the original writ brought, or the bill filed against him; anything herein contained to the contrary notwithstanding; and the plaintiff in such action may reply, that he had lands, tenements, or hereditaments, from his ancestor before the original writ brought, or bill filed; and if upon issue joined thereupon it be found for the plaintiff, the jury shall enquire of the value of the lands, tenements, or hereditaments so descended, and thereupon judgment shall be given, and execution shall be awarded as aforesaid; but if judgment be given against such heir by confession of the action, without confessing the assets descended, or upon demurrer, or nihil dicit, it shall be for the debt and damages, without any writ to enquire of the lands, tenements, or hereditaments so descended. VII. Provided also, and be it further enacted, That all and every devisee and devisees, made liable by this act, shall be liable and chargeable in the same manner as the heir at law by force of this act, notwithstanding the lands, tenements, and hereditaments, to him or them devised, shall be aliened before the action brought. Provided always, That this act shall be in force for three years, and to the end of the next session of parliament after the expiration of the said three years, and no longer. * Made perpetual by 6 & 7 Win. III. c. 14. See 1 Wm. IV. c. 47. [4 & 5 W. & M. CAP. 16. [A.D. 1692.] 10 & 11 WM. III. CAP. 16. [A.D. 1699.] An act to enable posthumous children to take estates as if born in their father's lifetime. Whereas it often happens, that by marriage and other settlements, estates are limited in remainder to the use of the sons and daughters, the issue of such marriage, with remainders over, without limiting an estate to trustees to preserve the contingent remainders limited to such sons and daughters, by which means such sons and daughters, if they happen to be born after the decease of their father, are in danger to be defeated of their remainder by the next in remainder after them, and left unprovided for by such settlements, contrary to the intent of the parties that made those settlements: be it enacted by the King's most excellent majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the lords spiritual and temporal, and commons, in this present parliament assembled, and by the authority of the same, That where any estate already is or shall hereafter, by any marriage or other settlement, be limited in remainder to, or to the use of the first or other son or sons of the body of any person lawfully begotten, with any remainder or remainders over to, or to the use of any other person or persons, or in remainder to, or to the use of a daughter or daughters lawfully begotten, with any remainder or remainders to any other person or persons, that any son or sons, or daughter or daughters of such person or persons lawfully begotten or to be begotten, that shall be born after the decease of his, her or their father, shall and may, by virtue of such settlement, take such estate so limited to the first and other sons, or to the daughter or daughters, in the same manner, as if born in the lifetime of his, her or their father, although there shall happen no estate to be limited to trustees, after the decease of the father, to preserve the contingent remainder to such afterborn son or sons, daughter or daughters, until he, she or they come in esse, or are born, to take the same; any law or usage to the contrary in any wise notwithstanding. II. Provided also, That nothing in this act shall extend or be construed to extend to divest any estate in remainder, that by virtue of any marriage or other settlement, is already come to the possession of any person or persons, or to whom any right is accrued, though not in actual possession, by reason or means of any afterborn son or sons, or daughter or daughters not happening to be born in the lifetime of his, her or their father. 4 ANNE. CAP. 16. [A.D. 1705.] An act for the amendment of the law, and the better advancement of justice. For the amendment of the law in several particulars, and for the easier, speedier, and better advancement of justice, be it enacted by the Queen's most excellent majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the lords spiritual and temporal, and commons, in this present parliament assembled, and by the authority of the same, That from and after the first day of Trinity term, which shall be in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and six, where any demurrer shall be joined, and entered in any action or suit in any court of record within this realm, the judges shall proceed and give judgment, according as the very right of the cause and matter in law shall appear unto them, without regarding any imperfection, omission, or defect in any writ, return, plaint, declaration, or other pleading, process, or course of proceeding whatsoever, except those only which the party demurring shall specially and particularly set down and express, together with his demurrer, as causes of the same, notwithstanding that such imperfection, omission, or defect might have heretofore been taken to be matter of substance, and not aided by the statute made in the twenty seventh year of Queen Elizabeth, intituled, An act for the furtherance of justice in case of demurrer and pleadings, so as sufficient matter appear in the said pleadings, upon which the court may give judgment according to the very right of the cause; and therefore from and after the said first day of Trinity term, no advantage or exception shall be taken of or for an immaterial travers; or of or for the default of entring pledges upon any bill or declaration; or of or for the default of alledging the bringing into court any bond, bill, indenture, or other deed whatsoever mentioned in the declaration or other pleading; or of or for the default of alledging of the bringing into court letters testamentary, or letters of administration; or of or for the omission of Vi et Armis et contra pacem, or either of them; or of or for the want of averment of Hoc paratus est verificare, or, Hoc paratus est verificare per Recordum; or of or for not alledging prout patet per Recordum, but the court shall give judgment according to the very right of the cause, as aforesaid, without regarding any such imperfections, omissions, and defects, or any other matter of like nature, except the same shall be specially and particularly set down and shewn for cause of demurrer. IV. And be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid, That from and after the said first day of Trinity term it shall and may be lawful for any defendant or tenant in any action or suit, or for any plaintiff in replevin, in any court of record, with the leave of the same court, to plead as many several matters thereto, as he shall think necessary for his defence. V. Provided nevertheless, That if any such matter shall upon a demurrer joyned, be judged insufficient, costs shall be given at the discretion of the court; or if a verdict shall be found upon any issue in the said cause for the plaintiff or demandant, costs shall be also given in like manner, unless the judge, who tried the said issue, shall certify, that the said defendant, or tenant, or plaintiff in replevin, had a probable cause to plead such matter which upon the said issue shall be found against him. IX. And be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid, That from and after the said first day of Trinity term, all grants or conveyances thereafter to be made, by fine or otherwise, of any manors or rents, or of the reversion or remainder of any messuages or lands, shall be good and effectual, to all intents and purposes, without any attornment of the tenants of any such manors, or of the land out of which such rent shall be issuing, or of the particular tenants upon whose particular estates any such reversions or remainders shall and may be expectant or depending, as if their attornment had been had and made. X. Provided nevertheless, That no such tenant shall be prejudiced or damaged by payment of any rent to any such grantor or conusor or by breach of any condition for non-payment of rent, before notice shall be given to him of such grant by the conusee or grantee. XIV. And whereas by an act of parliament made in the twenty ninth year of King Charles the Second, intituled, An act for prevention of frauds and perjuries, it is enacted, That no nuncupative will shall be good, where the estate thereby bequeathed shall exceed the value of thirty pounds, that is not proved by the oaths of three witnesses, at the least, that were present at the making thereof; it is hereby declared, That all such witnesses as are and ought to be allowed to be good witnesses upon trials at law, by the laws and customs of this realm, shall be deemed good witnesses to prove any nuncupative will, or any thing relating thereunto. XXI. And be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid, That all warranties which shall be made after the said first day of Trinity term, by any tenant for life, of any lands, tenements, or hereditaments, the same descending or coming to any person in reversion or remainder, shall be void and of none effect; and likewise all collateral warranties, which shall be made after the said first day of Trinity term, of any lands, tenements, or hereditaments, by any ancestor who has no estate of inheritance in possession in the same, shall be void against his heir. XXVII. And be it enacted by the authority aforesaid, That from and after the said first day of Trinity term, actions of account shall and may be brought and maintained against the executors and administrators of every guardian, bailiff, and receiver; and also by one joint tenant, and tenant in common, his executors and administrators, against the other, as bailiff for receiving more than comes to his just share or proportion, and against the executor and administrator of such joint tenant, or tenant in common; and the auditors appointed by the court, where such actions shall be depending, shall be, and are hereby impowered to administer an oath, and examine the parties touching the matters in question, and for their pains and trouble in auditing and taking such account, have such allowance as the court shall adjudge to be reasonable, to be paid by the party on whose side the ballance of the account shall appear to be. 7 ANNE. CAP. 20. [A.D. 1708.] An act for the publick registering of deeds, conveyances, and wills, and other incumbrances which shall be made of, or that may affect any honors, manors, lands, tenements, or hereditaments, within the county of Middlesex, after the twenty ninth day of September, one thousand seven hundred and nine. Whereas by the different and secret ways of conveying lands, tenements, and hereditaments, such as are ill disposed have it in their power to commit frauds, and frequently do so, by means whereof several persons (who through many years industry in their trades and employments, and by great frugality, have been enabled to purchase lands, or to lend monies on land security) have been undone in their purchases and mortgages, by prior and secret conveyances, and fraudulent incumbrances, and not only themselves, but their whole families thereby utterly ruined: for remedy whereof, may it please your most |