Stray Ferry Boat 1828

Stray records in Kentucky include not only livestock, but also boats and other water vehicles found adrift. The act dealing with strays was passed February 10th 1798 and was in force from the first of March of the same year.

"Sec. 1.  If any person shall take up any boat, canoe, or other vessel adrift, he shall cause the same to be viewed by some freeholder of the county where the same shall be taken up, and shall immediately go with such freeholder before a  justice of the peace of the same county, and make oath when and where the same was taken up, and that the marks thereof have not been altered or defaced since the taking up; and the justice shall take from such freeholder upon an oath, an exact description of such stray boat, canoe or other vessel, and shall enter same on his stray book, and give a certificate ..." [1]

The following stray notice was recorded in Livingston County, Kentucky Stray Book 1799 - 1852 (no pagination), Livingston County Clerk's Office, Smithland, Kentucky.

"Was taken up on the Ohio river 7 miles from Smithland by John Higgs  a ferry Boat supposed to be 2 years old 31 1/2 feet long & 7 feet wide with ash oars  two setting poles poplar gunnels  and bottom  no Cable  a Ring and bolt of Iron which boat was valued at $6  50 cents before me this 19th of June 1828 [signed] Jonah Hibbs, J.P.L.C."  [Margin]  " Ferry Boat  Rec  7 July 1828"

Livingston County, Kentucky Stray Book A  (1799-1852)

[1] William Littell, Esq. The Statute Law of Kentucky; With Notes, Praelections, and Observations of the Public Acts, Vol. II, Chapter LXVII, Sec. 1, approved February 10, 1798, (Frankfort: Johnston & Pleasants, 1810), 77-78.

Published 2 July 2019, Western Kentucky Genealogy Blog, http://wkygenealogy.blogspot.com/