The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1892-02-11
5s5. 900 Acres Claimed.

The following detailed statement of
an immense estate in West Virginia is
furnished by the Petersburg correspon-
dent of the Richmond Dispetch, under
date of February 9Th. W. L. Royal,
one of the claimants, is a prominent
lawyer of Richmond, and one of the
editors of the Richmond Times. He is
also officially connected with the Iron
Gate Land Company. The statement is
as follows:
In the Circuit Court of Petersburg,
Judge Hancock presiding, Mr. Philip b.
Shield, counsel for Mr.. William L. Roy
all, of Richmond, presented petition
showing the following interesting case:
That in 1915 George Keith taylor died
in the city of Petersburg testate, and
his will was duly admitted to probate on
the 4th day of December, 1915, in the
Hastings Court of said city. He left
surviving him his widow, Jane Taylor,
(who never married and died intestate,
and three daughters-to wit: GeoTgiana
Keith Taylor, Sallie Taylor, and Anna
X. Taylor The two first named died
intest ate, never having married, and
without issue. Anna X Taylor married
John j. Royal, of Fauquier county,
Va, and died leaving Mary A., who
married Robert l.. Murran, of Ports
mouth, Va; Helen NJ, who married
John &. Cooke, of Fauquier; and w. J..
Royal, the orator, who married j. Page
Aylett, of Richmond. The said Mary
A. Murran, Helen M. Cooke, and w. L.
Royal are all living and the sole heirs
at law of said George Keith TAYLOR.
At the time of his death said George
Keith Taylor was possessed of large
estate, both real and personal, and pros
vided by his will that the same should
be sold by his executors in such manner
and at such tiue, by private or public
sale, as to them might appear advisable,
and after the payment of his debts to
divide the surplus among his widow and
children-giving her one half during
her lifetime, and at her death to his
children in equal parts; the other half
to be divided among his children imme-
diately. At the time of his death said
Taylor was seized of four tracts of land
granted to him in the year 1896 by the
State of Virginia, containing respective
ly $4,000 acres, $4,000 acres, $4,000
acres, and 81 1000 acres, all in the county
of Kanawha, on the Sandy, Guyandotte,
aud other rivers Certified copies of said
four grants are filed.
Mr. Royal further charges that the
executors of said Taylor did not sell or
dispose of said land either separately or
together, or any portion thereof, and
the same always has been and still is a
part of the estate of said George Keith
Taylor and is the property of Mr.. Royal
and his two sisters above named. He
therefore prays that in order that the
will of the said Taylor should be carried
out as he intended, an administrator be
appointed by the court, and that said
land should be sold, and the proceeds of
the sale be distributed among those en-
titled thereto.
The court, after examining all the pa
pers submitted in the case, and hearing
argument, ordered that the cause be re-
ferred to A. B. Guigon, of Richmond,
who is appointed a special commissioner
for the purpose to report to the court
whether the George Keith Taylor men
toned in the bill of proceedings was
the George Keith Taylor to whom was
granted the four several tracts of land
by the State of Virginia, as above
charged; whether the said land or any
part thereof was sold off by the execu.
tors, who were and are the heirs of the
said Taylor, and their names and resi-
dences; whether any of said land was
sold by the State for taxes and forfeited,
and into what counties said land fell or
! the division of Kanawha county into
other counties, Sc.
| The whole amount of land involved in
! this suit is 585, 900 acres, all lying in the
State Of West Virginia, and much of it
very valuable. 1t may be stated in this
connection that there are several imme-
date connections of George Keith Tay-
lor in Petersburg.