Acquiring Land by Special Act

Copyright by Brenda Joyce Jerome, CG

May not copy without written consent

Did your ancestor suddenly acquire land and you can not find how or when he obtained it? Perhaps the land was acquired under special circumstances, such as an act of the General Assembly as shown in the cases of William Dunning and Elizabeth Nall. This information comes from Chapter CCCCXXVI, An Act for the benefit of William Dunning and Elizabeth Nall, approved February 9, 1819, and was accesssed on Google Books.

"Whereas it is represented to the present general assembly of the commonwealth of Kentucky, that William Dunning, of Caldwell county, has, in consequence of affliction for a considerable time past, been deprived of his right hand, and is consequently unable to labor for the support of his wife and a number of little children. Therefore,

"Sec. 1.  Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Kentucky, That the register of the land-office be, and he is hereby authorised and required to issue to said William a land warrant for 200 acres of land, without the state price being paid, which sd. Dunning may have entered and surveyed on any waste and unappropriated land in this commonwealth - the plat and certificate of survey for which shall be received by the register, without fee, and the grant shall be issued as in other cases; which land shall only be cultivated and kept for the use of sd. Dunning and his children, during his life, and shall at his death descend to sd. children: Provided, sd. warrant be entered and surveyed on land in Caldwell county, and shall not interfere with any prior claim, nor be entered on any land lately purchased of the Indians, west and south of the Tennessee river.

"Sec. 2. Be it further enacted, That the register of the land office be, and he is hereby authorised and required to issue a land warrant to Elizabeth Nall, of Hopkins county, without the state price being paid, for 100 acres, which shall be entered on the land she lives on in sd. county, to include the improvements on same; which, when surveyed and returned to the register, he shall issue a grant therefor as in other cases; Provided, sd. survey shall not interfere with any prior claim or claims."