THE WHOLE SELECTED FROM THE DRAUGHTS OF ACTUAL PRACTICE, AND Now first published under the DIRECTION and immediate INSPECTION of THOMAS WALTER WILLIAMS, OF THE INNER TEMPLE, BARRISTER AT LAW, In Four Aolumes. VOL. I. LONDON: Printed by his MAJESTY'S LAW PRINTERS, MDCCLXXXVIII, 1788 17902 PREFACE. PRECEDENTS when settled or approved by gentlemen of professional reputation, have ever been highly esteemed by those who are engaged in the practice of that particular branch of the law. A strict adherence to mechanical and legal accuracy in the construction of deeds, is of the utmost importance; giving permanence and security to the interests and poffeffions of mankind; whereas inattention frequently renders an VOL.I. No. I. A 3 appli 5 application to a court of judicature ne cessary; in order either to settle the respective rights and interests of the parties, or to explain the meaning of the inftru ment. To prevent such difficulties, several books have been published illustrating the Practice of Conveyancing, but very few of any consequence or authenticity, the major part being mere compilations from such as have been esteemed valuable; for it is an incontrovertible truth, that since the appearance of HORSEMAN's Precedents, nó book of any authority has been published in this peculiar line of practice. To lay before the Gentlemen of the Law a complete, copious, and perfectly original Collection of Precedents is there fore the design of the present Publication, the whole of which have been either drawn. drawn, settled, or approved by Conveyancers of the first eminence and estimation. The draughts will be methodically placed under general heads in alphabetical order, and the subject matter in each deed will be preceded by an explanatory title. Fictitious names and descriptions will be substituted in place of real ones, in the manner observed by HORSEMAN, that method being more likely to impress the memory with a perfect recollection of the parties, and a thorough comprehenfion of their several interests, than the common mode of adopting initials. To convince the profession of the authenticity of the proposed collection, to each draught will be prefixed or fubjoined (unless the Conveyancer is still in practice) the name of the gentleman who settled, |