Galloway v. Neale
Galloway v. Neale
Opinion of the Court
OPINION of the Court, by
The cir-euit court sustained, to the prejudice of Neale and others, holding under the elder legal title, the complaint of Galloway, asserted in chancery, on an entry of the 11th June, 1784, in his own name for 700 acres ; beginning at the southeastwardly corner of a pre-emption of 1000 acres in the name of J. Craig and R. Johnson, assignees of John May, assignee of John Reed, “ and to run S. 15 E. 84 poles, along William Galloway’s pre-emption, thence N. 75 E. 410 3-4 poles, thence N. 15 W. 534 poles, thence S. 75 W. 154 S-4 poles, thence S. 15 E. 500 poles, thence S. 75 W. 256 poles, to the place of beginning.”
Craig and Johnson, assignees as aforesaid, had entered, on the 9th December, 1782, 1000 acres, by virtue of Reed’s pre-emption, “•--at the mouth of Huston’s fork, including the cabin near the centre, running the survey twice as long as broad up and doxvn ¿¡toner's jOYk.
On the 4th of January, 1783, a survey was made for said Craig and Johnson, purporting to be by virtue the said entry.
The first question is, as to the validity of George Galloway’s entry.
Whether the certificate of pre-emption issued to Reed, or the assignees Craig and Johnson, is unknown, for it is not an exhibit in the cause. If Galloway’s entry is to be attached to Craig and Johnson’s entry upon the pre
if the complainant below had made out that Craig and Johnson’s survey had been generally known to those conversant in that neighborhood at the date of his entry in question, then his location would have attached to that survey, according to the decision of M'Crackin's heirs vs. Steele and Searcy, (ante 46.J But as the case now stands, neither the certificate, entry, nor survey, of
This cafe according with principles adjudged in other cafes, the reporterhas had occafion to cite it more than once» It is an adjudication upon rights growing out of the Jaws of this fíate for granting her vacant lands, and wifi be a leading, cafe in fettling many controverfies. The reporter has there* fore inferted it here,
April Term, 1814.
Prefent — Ch. J. Boyle, Judges Logan-and Owsley,
John Hendricks vs. James Bell,
THIS was a caveat, filed by the appellee againft the appellant, to prevent' the emanation of a grant for four hundred acres of land, which'is claimed by both parties, by virtue of certificates granted under the laws of this fíate. As the appellee was the plaintiff in the caveat, it becomes necefiary, in the firft place, to examine the validity of his claim 5 for, unlefs it be Valid, {a) he cannot recover, however weak may be his adverfary’s. The validity of hia right is queftioned on feveral grounds j but as we are clearly of opinion that it is not fulficiently eftáblííhed with refpect to the identity of its location, w* fhall forbear to examine any other objections to it.
(a) Same princple, Patterson vs. Bradford, Har. 103,
The certificate under which the appellee claims, defcribea the land as- (< lying in Warren county, on the Waters of Drake’s creek, on the eaft fide of the creek, about a mile eaftwardly from David Welty’s, beginning at a fpring in the barrens, and running eaftwardly, thence fouthwardly, thencé weftwardly, thence northwardly,; to the beginning, fo as to include the improvement.”
The defcription given in* the entry with- th# furVéyor does not' materially vary from that contained in the certificate, and need not therefore be recited.
The improvement called fbt is not eftáblííhed 9 on the contrary, the facts^ found by the jury completely negative the idea that it ever' had an existence. That it is eflentially necefiary for the purpofe of identifying the location, * cannot be doubted, as the other calls in the entry are in themfelves indefinite, (¿)? and are, by the terms of the location, made fubject to be controled by the po-fition of the improvement. Thus, for example, the call to run eaftwardly^ may be fatisfied by running to any point between north forty-five degrees eaft and fouth forty.five degrees eaft, becaufe a iine thus run,., by approximating nigher to the eaft than to either of the other cardinal points,. woiiUL receive its denomination from that point. The fame obfervation applies with equal-force and propriety to the courfe given for each of the other lines. It is evident, therefore, thatthcfd calls areiufcéptible of fuch a latitude in their con-ftruction, as to admit of being fatisfied by furveys made upon entirely different ground. And as they,are to be modified or varied according to the pofition of the improvement, it is clear, that the abfence of that object is a fatal objection to the appellee’s claim.
(b) Same principle) Craig vs. Hawkins's heirs ante 53— Calk and Orear vs. Stribling, 122—Smith vs.Grimes Hughes 18— Bradford vs.M'Clelland, Hugh. 102.4,
It is therefore confidered by the court, that the, faid judgment be reverfeds and iet afide ; and that the caufe be remanded to the court below, that a judg.-meat may be there entered ter the defendant in the e*reat»
In Carsen &c. vs. Hanway, &c. November 20th, 1813, this doctrine came under the confideration of Boyle, ch. jus, and Logan and Owsley, judges. On the 15th of February, 1783, a furvey was made for John Lacie* On the 9th of February, 1784, an entry was made, to begin at John Lacie’s N, W. corner, &c. In tefting that entry, the court fay, a when a furvey has been fo long made that the law requires it to be of record, it will be pre-fumed to be fo, and a call for its lines in an &ntry9 will render it a part of ths dtfcripúon of juch entry*”
Reference
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- Galloway v. Neale, &c.
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