Preston's Heirs v. Bowmar was a case heard by the United States Supreme Court in 1821. The dispute arose when William Preston died without leaving a will, and his heirs sued to recover land that had been sold by one of their predecessors to John Bowmar. The court held that the sale was valid because it had been made with full knowledge of all parties involved and for fair consideration, even though there were some irregularities in the deed itself. Furthermore, they found that since no fraud or mistake could be proven on either side, the contract should stand as written despite any technical defects in its execution or wording. Ultimately, this decision established an important precedent for upholding contracts regardless of minor errors or omissions so long as both sides acted honestly and fairly at all times during negotiations and execution of said agreement.

In Preston's Heirs v. Bowmar, the Supreme Court was asked to decide whether a state court had jurisdiction over a case involving land in another state. The majority opinion held that the state court did not have jurisdiction and that it should be dismissed. However, Justice Story dissented from this decision on two grounds: first, he argued that there was no clear legal authority for denying states jurisdiction over cases involving lands located outside their borders; second, he noted that if such an interpretation of law were adopted by the Court then it would create serious practical difficulties for litigants who could find themselves without any forum in which to bring their claims. In conclusion, Justice Story argued against dismissing the suit as proposed by the majority opinion and instead suggested remanding it back to the lower courts so they could determine whether or not they had proper jurisdiction under existing laws at both federal and state levels.