Executors of Sinclair v. Lynah
Executors of Sinclair v. Lynah
Opinion of the Court
This court agrees with the court below, that the defendant could not plead the statute of limitations. His plea was properly struck out, under the authority of King vs. Westendorf, Dudley’s Rep. 244. The second ground, that “ there was no proof of a demand on the maker, and notice to charge the endorser,” makes the only question of any importance in the case.
There is no doubt the rule is, that “ to hold an endorser liable, the law requires the holder, when the note becomes due, to present it to the promisor for payment, and if the promisor neglect or refuse thereupon to make payment, to give reasonable notice of the dishonor to the endorser.” 3 Met. 496. So, too, the notice of non-payment to an endorser, need not be in any particular form : any is sufficient which gives the endorser to understand that the note has been dishonored.' Willis vs. Pattison, 1 Rice’s Dig. 124, sec. 119; Gilbert vs. Dennis, 3 Met. 496; Tindal vs. Brown, 1 T. R. 167. In Hartley vs. Case, 10 Eng. Com. Law Rep. 350, C. J. Abbott said, “ no precise form of words is necessary to be used in giving notice of the dishonor of a bill of exchange; but the language used must be such as to convey notice to the party what the bill is, and that payment of it has been refused by the acceptor.” So in Solarte et al. vs. Palmer et al. 20 Eng. Com. Law Rep. 228, Tindal, C. J., speaking of the notice to charge the endorser, said, “ it should at least inform the party to whom it is addressed, either in express terms, or foÉÉfecessary implication, that the bill has been dislionoretfBBthe holder looks to him for payment.” The case madron the circuit presents the question, whether a demand of payment from the endorser carries with it an implication that the note has been dishonored. Upon a review of the case, and a comparison of it with the cases of Hartley vs. Case, 10 Eng. Com. Law Rep. 226, and the same case in the House of Lords, 27 Eng. Com. Law Rep. 351, and Gilbert vs. Dennis, 3 Met. 495, I think the verdict below cannot be sustained. The note in this case was protested by Thomas Gadsden, Esq., Notary Public. He states in the protest that he exhibited the note “ at the residence of Edward Lynah, the drawer, and of James Lynah, the endorser, and in their absence left written notices directed to them, and demanding
Case-law data current through December 31, 2025. Source: CourtListener bulk data.