John G. Shields, the appellant in this case, brought a suit against Isaac Thomas and Mary his wife, Nancy Pirtle, John B. Goldsbury and Thomas Starks and Elizabeth his wife as well as James Pickett and Ann his wife. The dispute was over title to certain lands located in Kentucky that had been granted by the Commonwealth of Virginia prior to its admission into the Union. Shields claimed he held legal title to these lands while defendants argued they were entitled to them through adverse possession or otherwise under state law. The Supreme Court ultimately ruled in favor of Shields on all counts finding that he did indeed hold legal title due to an act passed by Congress which confirmed titles issued by Virginia before it became a state within the United States union.

In the dissenting opinion of John G. Shields v. Isaac Thomas, Mary his wife, Nancy Pirtle, John B. Goldsbury, Thomas Starks and Elizabeth his wife and James Pickett and Ann his wife (1855), Justice Catron argued that the lower court had erred in its ruling by not allowing a jury trial to determine whether or not an agreement between Shields and Thomas was validly executed prior to 1851 when Tennessee abolished common law marriage contracts. He noted that since there were conflicting facts presented as evidence regarding this issue it should have been left up to a jury to decide which version of events was true instead of relying on circumstantial evidence alone for determining validity. Furthermore he argued that even if the contract did exist before 1851 it would still be enforceable under Tennessee's Statute of Frauds due to its being made with consideration given from both parties involved in good faith at the time it was entered into regardless of any subsequent changes in state laws governing such agreements