Legal Opinion

Sykes v. United States

United States Court of Claims

Decided December 15, 1872PublishedCited by 1 opinion

The Reporters’ statement of the case. , The court found the following facts: The claimant, prior to her marriage, was the owner of the undivided half of a plantation in Mississippi. In November, 1857, she married.

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The Reporters’ statement of the case. , The court found the following facts: The claimant, prior to her marriage, was the owner of the undivided half of a plantation in Mississippi. In November, 1857, she married. Subsequent to the marriage the husband purchased the remaining undivided half of the plantation, and from that time they occupied and worked the plantation jointly as tenants in common, each contributing equally for that purpose, and she owning half the slaves and personal property on the plantation in her own right. In January, 1885, the husband died. At the time of his death there…

1Opinion of the Court 1

Nott, J.,

delivered the opiaion of the court:

The only question presented by this case is, whether a married woman living in Mississippi was the legal owner of a share in the undivided products of a plantation of which she owned the undivided half part as her separate property, the husband being the owner of the remaining half part, and the two owning jointly the slaves and personal property, and contributing .equally to carry on the business of the plantation.

The claimant has sought to establish the law of Mississippi by calling witnesses to prove it as a foreign law. That practice is…

Also in this document: Opinion of the Court · Nott.

2Cited by1 opinion

  1. Thomas v. United StatesUnited States Court of Claims · 1876

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