Tennessee Supreme Court Cases
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The files located in the Tennessee Supreme Court Cases represent an especially valuable resource for historical and genealogical research at the Tennessee State Library and Archives [TSLA].
Tennessee Supreme Court Cases
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| View Entry | Year | Case Name | County | Cause/Crime | Case Description | Division | Location | # Pages | Order |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| View Entry | 1876 | B. Elder v. G. C. Williams | Gibson | Possession of Stolen Property | West | Range: 84 Section: C Shelf: Box Number: 36 | 0 | Order A Copy | |
| View Entry | 1882 | Constantine Schmidt v. Victor Fletcher et al | Davidson | Possession |
Add. Defendants: H. & Ella Ziebart. |
Middle | Range: 33 Section: E Shelf: Box Number: 508 | 58 | Order A Copy |
| View Entry | 1833 | Catherine Pharris v. Enock Carter | Jackson | Possession, Unlawful |
Enock Carter unlawfully possessed a 40 year-old Slave named Hannah, who belonged to Catherine Pharris |
Middle | Range: 32 Section: A Shelf: Box Number: 190 | 0 | Order A Copy |
| View Entry | 1879 | David Starr v. Joseph Duncan | Hardin | Possession, Unlawful |
The dispute arose over the rightful ownership of a cow and calf. |
West | Range: 84 Section: G Shelf: Box Number: 139 | 0 | Order A Copy |
| View Entry | 1841 | Den Lesee of John Capps v. Bouyer Bullard | Claiborne | Possession of Land |
John Capps leased a track of land from defendant for a term of 10 years. When defendant in possession of land & refused to turn it over, plaintiff sued for possession rights and cost of suit. Note hand drawn map of tract in dispute on page 43. |
East | Range: 9 Section: D Shelf: Box Number: 1148 | 45 | Order A Copy |
| View Entry | 1898 | F. H. Peck v. L. K. Compton | Shelby | Wrongful Possession |
Over mastiff named "Rex." |
West | Range: 82 Section: H Shelf: Box Number: 674 | 48 | Order A Copy |
| View Entry | 1889 | G. M. Shepard v. C. N. O. and F.P. R. Company | Scott | Wrongful Possession |
The plaintiff claimed that the defendants had in their possession on skiff with six oars, two axes, one pike pole, one pick hammer, one sack of cooking utensils and two cart hooks which said company has wrongfully seized. |
East | Range: 19 Section: D Shelf: Box Number: 1833 | 20 | Order A Copy |
| View Entry | 1890 | H. F. Bailey v. Charles M. Davis | Washington | Possession, Unlawful |
Dispute over a Hamilton Organ valued at $80. The organ was originally purchased in 1886 by H. F. Bailey from a door to door salesman, N. M. Cooper. |
East | Range: 19 Section: E Shelf: Box Number: 1807 | 62 | Order A Copy |
| View Entry | 1898 | Hack Drivers Union #1 of Memphis v. Timothy McCoy | Shelby | Possession, Unlawful |
The union is sued McCoy, previous union treasurer, for $76, the balance in the treasury at the end of his term. McCoy is refusing to relinquish the money. The folder also contains two legal briefs. |
West | Range: 82 Section: G Shelf: Box Number: 654 | 48 | Order A Copy |
| View Entry | 1880 | Herman Schafer v. C. L. Strickland& W. R. Neighbors | Lauderdale | Possession of Land | West | Range: 84 Section: G Shelf: Box Number: 150 | 0 | Order A Copy | |
| View Entry | 1911 | J. H. Austin v. Ruben Tipton | Lake | Possession of Land |
Plaintiff Austin claimed that they had leased their 150 acres to Tipton for 1 year but that he refused to leave the property. |
West | Range: 80 Section: J Shelf: Box Number: 1288 | 41 | Order A Copy |
| View Entry | 1915 | J. T. Trains & Bro v. R. B. Barfield | Lauderdale | Possession |
40 acres of cotton and corn |
West | Range: 79 Section: C Shelf: Box Number: 1386 | 156 | Order A Copy |
| View Entry | 1836 | James H. Pass v. Anthony Dibrell | White | Wrongful Possession |
Claim is that $10,000 worth of property, including two slaves, were wrongfully taken. |
Middle | Range: 32 Section: A Shelf: Box Number: 199 | 86 | Order A Copy |
| View Entry | 1874 | John H. House v. Minor Cosby | Sumner | Wrongful Possession | Middle | Range: 21 Section: A Shelf: Box Number: 75 | 0 | Order A Copy | |
| View Entry | 1882 | James K. Conner v. John B. Inman | Madison | Possession |
Dispute over possession of a mule. |
West | Range: 83 Section: B Shelf: Box Number: 218 | 9 | Order A Copy |
| View Entry | 1886 | John Scheibler v. T. D. Coopwood& J. L. Coopwood | Shelby | Possession, Unlawful | West | Range: 83 Section: H Shelf: Box Number: 399 | 62 | Order A Copy | |
| View Entry | 1910 | Kansas City Memphis & Birmingham Rail Road v. J. A. Sigman | Shelby | Possession of Land |
Case is effectively an eminent domain case as the rail road is sued to gain the ability to purchase property owned by the defendant for the purpose of constructing a connecting track to the plaintiffs existing tracks. |
West | Range: 80 Section: H Shelf: Box Number: 1242 | 211 | Order A Copy |
| View Entry | 1876 | Maggie A. Krider v. A. Michaels | Shelby | Wrongful Possession |
Plaintiff's father, John Krider, also testifies. The suit concerns a piano worth $354.83 that the plaintiff claims the defendant has in his possession, but which legally belongs to her; defendant claims he bought it honestly at an estate sale. The plaintiff seems willing to settle either for the return of the piano or the payment of $354.83. No cause of action is actually listed in the record. |
West | Range: 84 Section: E Shelf: Box Number: 73 | 0 | Order A Copy |
| View Entry | 1841 | Right Johnson v. John Billinglsey | Bledsoe | Possession, Unlawful |
Ben Bridgman recovered a judgement from Thomas Moonyham for $40. Moonyham had hogs that were to be taken in payment, but they were moved to John Billingsly's property, apparently in order to avoid the attachment of the hogs to the debt. Billingsly was sued to recover the hogs. |
East | Range: 5 Section: B Shelf: Box Number: 18 | 22 | Order A Copy |
| View Entry | 1875 | R. A. Lewis, Trustee, use of M. Auberg et al. v. George Wynn | Lake | Wrongful Possession |
Lewis is also sued on behalf of Smith Parker, W. B. Johnson, A. C. Terrell, W. H. Reynolds, Co., and E. E. Westbrook. Wynn is in possession of livestock and farm equipment to which the plaintiffs insist they are entitled. "Auberg" may be "Amberg." |
West | Range: 83 Section: B Shelf: Box Number: 243 | 22 | Order A Copy |
| View Entry | 1880 | State v. Todd Holloway | Fayette | Possession of Illegal Weapons |
Holloway indicted for carrying pistols on 4 Feb. 1880. |
West | Range: 84 Section: H Shelf: Box Number: 161 | 0 | Order A Copy |
| View Entry | 1891 | State v. David Smothers | Carroll | Possession of Illegal Weapons | West | Range: 83 Section: E Shelf: Box Number: 324 | 14 | Order A Copy | |
| View Entry | 1919 | State v. Cleveland Durant | Shelby | Possession of Illegal Weapons |
Charged with illegally carrying a concealed pistol. It is noted he is carrying an Army or Navy style pistol. |
West | Range: 79 Section: H Shelf: Box Number: 1563 | 27 | Order A Copy |
| View Entry | 1917 | State v. Pete Faccaro | Shelby | Possession of Illegal Weapons |
Charged with carrying a concealed pistol. |
West | Range: 79 Section: H Shelf: Box Number: 1563 | 13 | Order A Copy |
| View Entry | 1856 | Stephen N. White, et al. v. William H. McMurry | Rutherford | Possession, Unlawful |
Other plaintiffs: Thomas D. White; John M. White; Susan C. White; Mary E. White; Franklin White |
Middle | Range: 32 Section: C Shelf: Box Number: 260 | 0 | Order A Copy |
| View Entry | 1900 | State for use of John E. Kelly v. William J. Dugan et al | Shelby | Possession |
Additional defendants: F. W. McCarthy & Wm. Hicks |
West | Range: 81 Section: C Shelf: Box Number: 797 | 34 | Order A Copy |
| View Entry | 1932 | Sarah Tye v. Hubert Perkins & Sarah Tye v. John Johnson | Campbell | Possession, Unlawful |
Tye was the executrix of the estate of Sylvester Allen, deceased. Among his possessions was a Ford automobile. Allen owed $194.32 to Dixie Garage. She paid the amount owned and received the car. Tye is claiming that the defendants are wrongfully and unlawfully detaining the automobile. |
East | Range: 10 Section: F Shelf: Box Number: 1460 | 46 | Order A Copy |
| View Entry | 1852 | T. W. Evans & W. H. Evans v. Bartley M. Barnes | Davidson | Adverse Possession |
Plaintiffs assert the defendant was in possession of cotton owned by them and refused to return it. The appeal suit is a plea of trespass on the damages won in the original suit. |
Middle | Range: 32 Section: B Shelf: Box Number: 234 | 0 | Order A Copy |
| View Entry | 1914 | Travis Smith v. Bruno Gernt et al. | Fentress | Possession, Unlawful |
Co-defendant: A. B. Bradford |
Middle | Range: 21 Section: B Shelf: Box Number: 91 | 0 | Order A Copy |
| View Entry | 1888 | Tatum Embrey & Company v. W. D. Tomlinson | Montgomery | Wrongful Possession |
The plaintiff states that the defendant unlawfully detained his oxen, log wagons and five chains worth eighty five dollars. |
Middle | Range: 35 Section: B Shelf: Box Number: 752 | 25 | Order A Copy |
| View Entry | 1860 | Williamson County v. S. A. Jefferson | Williamson | Adverse Possession |
Concerning a road in Williamson County. |
Middle | Range: 32 Section: E Shelf: Box Number: 311 | 0 | Order A Copy |
| View Entry | 1891 | W. Neely, et al. v. Jerry Hall | Overton | Possession |
Plaintiffs sued defendants for possession of a tract of land to be restored to them. Additional Plaintiff: J.S. Watson |
Middle | Range: 35 Section: F Shelf: Box Number: 885 | 36 | Order A Copy |
| View Entry | 1871 | William H. Smith v. Anna Cox | Campbell | Adverse Possession |
Plaintiff charged collusion by Cox with another tenant to occupy land unlawfully and thereby claim it. See also boxes 26; 74. |
East | Range: 5 Section: A Shelf: Box Number: 2a | 10 | Order A Copy |
| View Entry | 1880 | William Oakley v. State | Wilson | Possession of Illegal Weapons | Middle | Range: 20 Section: H Shelf: Box Number: 58 | 0 | Order A Copy | |
| View Entry | 1871 | William H. Smith v. Anna Cox | Campbell | Adverse Possession |
Court of Origin: Unknown. County: Unknown. Final Decree only. See also box 2a. |
East | Range: 5 Section: D Shelf: Box Number: 74 | 2 | Order A Copy |