Out at
Streatham, where he lived, Mrs. Dove probably had her circle of
acquaintance; but Mr. Dove's domestic life and his forensic life were kept
quite separate.
At the present moment Mr. Dove is interesting to us solely as being the
learned counsel in whom Mr. Camperdown trusted--to whom Mr. Camperdown was
willing to trust for an opinion in so grave a matter as that of the
Eustace diamonds. A case was made out and submitted to Mr. Dove
immediately after that scene on the pavement in Mount Street at which Mr.
Camperdown had endeavoured to induce Lizzie to give up the necklace; and
the following is the opinion which Mr. Dove gave:
"There is much error about heirlooms. Many think that any chattel may be
made an heirloom by any owner of it. This is not the case. The law,
however, does recognise heirlooms; as to which the Exors. or Admors. are
excluded in favour of the successor; and when there are such heirlooms
they go to the heir by special custom. Any devise of an heirloom is
necessarily void, for the will takes place after death, and the heirloom
is already vested in the heir by custom. We have it from Littleton that
law prefers custom to devise.
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