Hil. 9 E. 2. the sisters and coheirs pray livery. Matilda, quæ fuit uxor comitis, pretends to be big by the earl, which was accordingly found per inquisitionem. The co-heirs reply, that, si comitissa prægnans esset, tantum tempus elapsum est, ut secundum cursum pariendi non potest dici imprægnari a comite. Yet they could not obtain livery till Pasch. 10 E. 2. but the question hung in deliberation.
"Note 18 R. 2. where a woman in such a case immediately after the death of the first husband took a second husband, and had issue born forty weeks and eleven days after the death of the first husband, and it was held to be the issue of the second husband.
"M. 17. Jac. B. R. Alsop and Stacey. Andrews dies of the plague. His wife, who was a lewd woman, is delivered of a child forty weeks and ten days after the death of the husband. Yet the child was adjudged legitimate and heir to Andrews; for partus potest protrahi ten days ex accidente.
"M. 4. Car. in Cur. Ward, and afterwards P. 5. Car. B.R. Thecar marries a lewd woman; but she doth not cohabit with him, and is suspected of incontinency with Duncomb: Thecar dies: Duncomb within three weeks after the death of Thecar, marries her: two hundred and eighty-one days and sixteen hours after his death she is delivered of a son. Here it was agreed, 1. If she had not married Duncomb, without question the issue should not be a bastard, but should be adjudged the son of Thecar. 2. No averment shall be received that Thecar did not cohabit with the wife. 3. Though it is possible, that the son might be begotten after the husband's death, yet, being a question of fact, it was tried by a jury, and the son was found to be the issue of Thecar."
Lord Hale's case of E. 2. appears very extraordinary, the time from 30 June from 7 E. 2. when the Earl of Gloucester died, to the quindene of Hilary, or 29 Jan. 9 E. 2, when the livery to his sister was further postponed in parliament,
