Lawson's Estate

Citations

• 264 Pa. 77
• 107 A. 376
• 1919 Pa. LEXIS 597

Syllabus

<p>Wills — Charitable bequests — Unincorporated society — Belief of members and needy persons of British descent in Gity of Philadelphia — Validity—Act of April 26, 1855, P. L. 828, Section 11— Death within thirty days.</p> <p>1. A bequest to an unincorporated society having for objects the relief from distress of its own members and all other needy persons of British nativity and descent in the City of Philadelphia, and to promote social intercourse among its members, is a bequest for a charitable use and therefore void under the Act of April 26, 1855, P. L. 828, where the will was executed within thirty days before testator’s death.</p> <p>2. The fact that a benevolent society, after the death of the testator, made certain changes in its by-laws enlarging the social features at the expense of its charitable purposes, cannot be taken into consideration in determining whether the testator made a bequest to a charitable use, since the society c'ould not change its organic law or prime purpose so as to divert charitable funds to other uses.</p>