Williams v. Taylor

4 Ky. 41, 1 Bibb 41, 1808 Ky. LEXIS 154
CourtCourt of Appeals of Kentucky
DecidedNovember 21, 1808
StatusPublished

This text of 4 Ky. 41 (Williams v. Taylor) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Kentucky primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Williams v. Taylor, 4 Ky. 41, 1 Bibb 41, 1808 Ky. LEXIS 154 (Ky. Ct. App. 1808).

Opinion

[41]*41OPINION ofthe Court, by

Judge Bibb.

Williams ¿appeals from a decree of the circuit court of Lincoln, dismissing his bill exhibited, to háve relief against an [42]*42elder.grant obtained by the appellees for the land in cost” troversy. The appellant claims under a village right, located to adjoin Hugh M’Gary ; the certificates and entries exhibiting a view of the appellant’s claim are as follows :

⅝ Certificate and entry of actual fettler ihall be taken together. —Consilla vs, Brifcoty Hughi 45 — Craig and Mosby *us« Co-gar, Har, 385, —Mojby and Craig vs. Car-land, May 3d, 1809. Entry to adjoin fettlement and preemption be. fore the preemption was located, fhall attach to fettlement only.— See Craig vs, Machiry ante 10 A villager snuft prove the notoriety of ¡m-provement called tor in his location — Ho-thaway versus Forbes, poji McClure versus IViniock, pofe Fraz ier vs. Steele Pr. Oec. 395-— Lee 'os. IVallf Har. 450.
[42]*42“ October 27th, 1779 — Hugh M’Gary this day claimed a settlement and pre-emption to a tract of land lying about six miles from Harrodsburg, known by the name of the Shawnee Springs, by settling the said land and raising a crop of corn in the year 1776. Benjamin Davis contested the claim by James Harrod, &c. Sundry witnesses were sworn and examined, in consideration of which the court are of opinion, that the said M’Gary, has a right to a settlement of 400 acres of land, including said improvement, and a pre-emption of 1000 acres of land adjoining, and that a certificate issue for the same,” &c.
“November 3d, 1779 — Hugh M’Gary enters 400 acres by certificateforsettlement, about six miles from Har-rodsburg, known by the name of the Shawnee Spring.”
“ February 24th, 1780 — Peter Casey, by Isaac Hite, this day claimed a settlement and pre-emption to a tract of land in the district of Kentucky, on account of raising a crop of corn in the country in the year 1776, lying on the waters of Shawnee run, adjoining Hugh M’Gary’s settlement on the west, to include his improvement : satisfactory proof being made to the court, they are of opinion that the said Casey, has a right to a settlement of 400 acres of land, to include the said improvement, and the pre-emptioft of 1000 acres adjoining, and that a certificate issue accordingly.”
“ March 2d, 1780 — Peter Casey enters 400 acres in Kentucky by virtue of a certificate, &c. lying on the waters of Shawnee run, adjoining Hugh M’Gary’s land on the west, to include his improvement.”
“ June 26th, 1780 — Peter Casey, Jun. enters 1000 acres upon a pre-emption warrant, No.-- on the waters of Shawnee run, adjoining his settlement on the southwest, and north sides.”

M’Gary’s claim before the commissioners was granted to include his improvement-, although he had claimed the Shawnee Springs. The certificate itself shews that a controversy arose, and was decided by examination of sundry witnesses in the court of commissioners. In [43]*43trying whether M’Gary or Davis had the prior improvement on the same land, it would be but a fair and rational supposition, that the court, and those present at the controversy, understood the situation of the respective improvements ; and hence a strong presumption arises in favor of the notoriety of the improvement of M’Gary, who must have established his improvement, as he prevailed in the contest. And this presumption is fortified by other evidence in the record. It is very satisfactorily evidenced, that the Shawnee Springs were notorious at, before and after the entry of M’Gary’s certificate of settlement right, with the surveyor. But the circuit court supposed there was a confiiction between the certificate and entry; that they were irreconcilable, and that the mind was left in doubt whether more than one of the springs mentioned in the certificate, were to be included in the location, and if but one, as called for in the entry, which one that was. The principle assumed by the decree is well settled, that the certificate of settlement right and the entry thereof with the surveyor are to be taken together. By doing so the doubt and uncertainty supposed by the decree will be removed. Although the claim was made for a tract of land settled and improved, and known by the name of the Shawnee Springs, yet when the claim is granted, it is not to include the Springs, but to include the improvement. When the entry is taken in conjunction with this call, and applied to the testimony of M’Gary’s having improved at one of the springs, no doubt can remain but that the spring at which he had improved, was the one intended in the entry, he being bound to include his improvement.

That the wit-nefs underfeed an improvement to be the improvementof P. C. not juffi. cient evidence ofnotoriety,nor that he always confedcredit fo ; it ought to be generally fo un. derftood and called by others acquainted in that part of the country. Pofetive evidence of notoriety counteracted by other evidence. • Mf Clure vs. Byne9 pefe mu Jon vs, M'Gbet9 ante 34' — Speed vs% fViljon3i Pr* Dec, 93. Entry by P. C.to join Hugh M’Gary on the weft, and include his improvement, not fuftained for want of improvement. Same principle, Neale vs, Galloway, fall term zSro, and cafes there cited.

The entry of M’Gary, therefore, should be surveyed around “ the upper Shawnee Spring, above the old mill,” as so designated on the plat; with lines to the cardinal points, and the improvement at the intersection of the diagonals of a square area of 400 acres.

As M’Gary had not'located his pre-emptive right previous to the entry of Casey’s settlement right, the call of that entry to adjoin Hugh M’Gary’s land, must be considered as alluding to M’Gary’s settlement only. This doctrine is settled in the cases of Harrod's heir and Crow's heirs—Ward and Kenton vs. Lee, assignee of Young—Craig vs. Machir.

[44]*44The reasoning of the circuit court is conclusive, that the improvement claimed by the complainant as Casey’s, and sworn to as such by Patrick Jordan and Evangelist Hardin, was never generally known, but was, on the contrary, hid in obscurity until many years had elapsed after Casey’s entry was made. But now it is contended that an improvement at the spring represented on the plat as the complainant’s, is established as Casey’s, and as having been called and generally known as his, previous to the date of his entry and ever since. The depositions of Denton Yoeom, Patrick Jordan and Roger Patton, are those from which it is supposed the notoriety of this improvement is to be inferred.

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Bluebook (online)
4 Ky. 41, 1 Bibb 41, 1808 Ky. LEXIS 154, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/williams-v-taylor-kyctapp-1808.