Lebanon v. Griffin
Supreme Court of New Hampshire
Assumpsit. The sheriff was commanded to attach the goods or estate of Stillman Griffin of Hartford, in the county of Windsor, and State of Vermont, &c., and summon him, &c., to answer to the inhabitants of the town of Lebanon, in the county of Grafton, in a plea of the case, for that whereas Mary Griffin of Lebanon, &e., on the day of the date of this .writ, and for a long time previous, to wit, for the space of five years last past, at said Lebanon, had fallen into distress…
Read the full summary
Assumpsit. The sheriff was commanded to attach the goods or estate of Stillman Griffin of Hartford, in the county of Windsor, and State of Vermont, &c., and summon him, &c., to answer to the inhabitants of the town of Lebanon, in the county of Grafton, in a plea of the case, for that whereas Mary Griffin of Lebanon, &e., on the day of the date of this .writ, and for a long time previous, to wit, for the space of five years last past, at said Lebanon, had fallen into distress within said town of Lebanon, and then and there stood in need of immediate relief, and the defendant, being the son and…
1Opinion of the CourtBell, C. J.
It must be regarded as settled, that there is, at common law, no legal obligation to support a parent. Reeves, (Dom. Rel. 284,) says "the statute of this State (Connecticut) makes it the duty of parents to support their children, and grand-parents, their grand-children, children, their parents, and grand-children, their grand-parents.” This statute imposes on such relatives obligations unknown to the common law.
This question arose in the case of Edwards v. Davis, 16 Johns. 281, where it was held, that "there is no common law obligation, by which a child is liable to support an infirm and…
2Cases cited11 opinions
- Cook v. BradleySupreme Court of Connecticut · 1828
- Edwards v. DavisNew York Supreme Court · 1819
- Bartholomew v. JacksonNew York Supreme Court · 1822
- Frear v. HardenberghNew York Supreme Court · 1810
- Doty v. WilsonNew York Supreme Court · 1817
6 more not listed; retrieve them via the Exa API.
3Cited by1 opinion
- Cahoon v. CoeSupreme Court of New Hampshire · 1876