Our Forbearance - For Money?

Consider the nationally recognized case of Hamer v. Sidway,  N.Y. Ct. App., 124 N.Y. 538, 27 N.E. 256 (1891). In this case an uncle promised his nephew that if the nephew refrained from drinking, swearing or gambling until age 21, the nephew would receive $5,000. This was in fact, a contractual relationship. In this case, even though the uncle never lived to see the nephew’s 21^st birthday, the nephew lived up to his side of this bargain and was able to recover the $5,000 from the estate of his uncle.