544 NEALE v. HAGTHROP.—3 BLAND.

borhood of the said complainants or some of them, and on the
premises." That he, this defendant, has paid the paving taxes
amounting to about $480; and ''this defendant saith, that the
said purchase of the said lands, by this defendant, from the ad-
ministrator aforesaid, was bona fide, and without notice of any
claim or claims on the said land by the said complainants or any
of them."

The defendant Cator also styles his response his separate answer
"to the bill of complaint of James Neale and others, representa-
tives of Anthony Hook, deceased;" and says, that he purchased at
a public auction some time in the month of April, or May, 1818,
of the defendant McMechen. a lease of ninety-nine years renew-
able * forever of a part of the premises mentioned in the
557 bill; that "the complainants or some of them, long before
and since the auction aforesaid, lived near the premises mentioned
in their bill;" that he with others applied and had the street paved
on which the lot leased to him fronted; and that at the time he
accepted the lease from the defendant McMechen, as also at the
time he applied for the paving of the street, he had no knowledge
that the complainants claimed title to the premises.

The defendants Moore and Hughes also say. that theirs is their
joint and separate answer " to the bill of complaint of James Neale
and others, representatives of Anthony Hook, deceased;" and that
at a public sale in the month of April, or May, 1818, they severally
purchased leases of the defendant McMechen, of part of the land
mentioned in the bill, that they have ever since paid rent; "and
defendants swear positively, that they nor either of them had any
knowledge of any claim or claims of the said complainants upon,
in, and unto the said lands at the time of the purchase and lease
aforesaid."

The defendants Hagthrop and wife, on the 11th of December,
1821, put in their joint and separate answer, in which they say,
that on the 8th of May, 1797, Anthony Hook, for a valuable con-
sideration by indenture, conveyed the lot of ground on Alice Anna
street to John Hook; that the said Anthony Hook being much in-
volved in debt, and advanced in years, and deriving his support
principally from his son John Hook, executed to him the deed of
the 17th of August, 1797, whereby he conveyed to John the prop-
erty therein mentioned, who accordingly paid the debts particu-
larly mentioned therein as these defendants believe and charge;
and that the said John Hook paid the said sums of money set out
in the said assignment, so i'ar as the creditors applied for payment
of the same; that Anthony Hook died intestate some time in June,
1798, and that John Hook obtained letters of administration on his
estate; that John Hook died intestate in September, 1800, leaving
this defendant Barbara his widow, and one child, James Hook;
that this defendant Barbara, obtained letters of administration on