Hyam’s Lessee v. Edwards, 1 U.S. 1 (1759)
Background of the case
The case took place in the Pennsylvania Colony when it was still under British rule
It involved a dispute over land ownership, with both parties claiming rights to a parcel of land in Pennsylvania
Facts of the Case:
Plaintiff: The Lessee of Hyam and others
Defendant: Edwards
Dispute:
The main issue was whether a title deed to land in Pennsylvania, executed in England and registered in the King’s Bench, could be admitted as evidence in a trial in the Pennsylvania territorial court
Issues of the Case
The primary legal issue was the admissibility of a foreign deed as evidence in a colonial court
The court had to determine if a deed executed and registered in England could be used to support a title to land in Pennsylvania
Judgement
The court ruled that the deed was admissible in evidence
The judgement stated: “Copy of a Deed inrolled in the King’s Bench in England, proved before the Lord Mayor of London to be a true one; allowed to be given in Evidence to a Jury to support a Title to Lands in this Province”
This decision set a precedent for the admissibility of foreign deeds in colonial courts, which was significant for property law at the time.
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