Divorces: Mississippi Territory- Legislative Records Pertaining to Alabama 1803-1816


These are transcripts, transcribed here by Lisa R. Franklin RN, from loose papers in folder SG3111 located at the Alabama State Archives. For more details click on the divorce of interest below

This page made possible thanks to Dorcas S. Saunders!!!

McGEE, Abraham and Elizabeth, m. SEP 1812, div. JUL 1813, Washington County
WEAVER, John, m. SEP 1814 to Hannah MORRISS, div. 1816, Madison County
ANDERSON, Joseph, m.26 AUG 1806 Susannah DITTO, div. 1815, Madison County


To the Honorable Legislative Council and House of Representatives of the Mississippi Territory in General Assembly convened----

The petition of Joseph ANDERSON humbly complaining showeth unto your honorable body that on the 27th day of August 1806, he was lawfully married to Susannah DITTO and they continued to live together as husband and wife until the 23d of February 1810 and on that day his wife Susannah voluntarily left your petitioner's house pretending that she would go to her Father's and return home, but she has never returned since that day although frequent application and affectionate solicitations have been made to her by your petitioner hoping he could induce her to come back to his bed and board, but ,to his great mortification, she has refused and still doth refuse, and states that she never will live with him again during life. Your petitioner further states that he always treated her kindly and affectionate as a husband while she lived with him and done every thing in his power to render her comfortable and happy---and that since her elopement from him she has kept the most abandoned company, and he believes she has committed adultery with divers [any number of] persons. Your petitioner further states that at November Superior Court 1813, he filed a petition praying for a Divorce before his honor Judge JONES and the facts as alleged in his petition was not denied by his wife Susannah as will appear from the record of the Superior Court of the County of Madison--but to the great mortification of your petitioner the Judge at November term 1814 refused to grant him a Divorce and dismissed his petition--and he is informed by his counsel the reason why the Judge refused to grant him a divorce was because his wife did not deny the facts as stated in the petition, and was willing for a Divorce--therefore the Judge concluded there was some collusion between the parties which your petitioner denies, and there was no evidence whatever produced before the Judge.

Your petitioner further states that he has lived upwards of five years in Madison County since he was married to his wife Susannah, and although the Legislature have thought proper to give the Superior Court jurisdiction of such cases, yet if it should appear to your honorable body that your petitioner has not had Justice done and his case is such a one as entitles him to relief, that you will interfere and grant him relief, and he has strong hopes in the Wisdom and integrity of your honorable body. Your petitioner therefore prays that you will take his hard case into consideration and hopes that you will feel disposed to grant him a Divorce from his wife Susannah, and not compel him to live in such a distressed and unhappy situation during the balance of his life, and your petitioner in duty bound will ever pray etc..

Joseph Anderson

[Divorce was granted to Joseph ANDERSON on 16 OCT 1815, Madison County, Mississippi Territory]


To the Honorable Legislature of the Mississippi Territory-
The Petition of John WEAVER of Madison County in said Territory, respectfully showeth--

That in the month of September 1814 he was married to one Hannah MORRISS then of said County. He was then a widower, had seven children, was a little more than fifty-one years old, possessed of a stock of horses, cattle, hogs, etc & of household furniture and such like property and then and ever since has resided in said County. She represented herself to be a widow about forty years old, and was said to have seven or eight children. When she came home to your Petitioner's house, none of her children came to live with her, and of his, only the youngest boy of about ten years old, has lived with him since said marriage.

Your Petitioner's circumstances in life make it necessary for him to labor for the support of himself and his family, and when he married said Hannah he expected to have the benefit of her care and assistance in conducting his household affairs. But in a few weeks after the marriage, she began to show her unhappy temper. From that time, until her final separation from your Petitioner, she has been in the habit of very frequently going off from the house, suddenly & without any notice to him of her intentions, and staying several weeks at a time, & taking with her and making away with such property as she could bear off. In this way she has at different times taken away all the beds and almost every other article of any use or value about the house, and all of your Petitioner's money that she could find, amounting to something more than a Hundred Dollars. In August, 1816, while the boy before mentioned was quite ill of a fever, your Petitioner left home on necessary business, and was gone for one night. Before his return home said Hannah went off from the house (during the night as he has been informed) and took away with her all the beds and almost every article of household & kitchen furniture that he then had, leaving the sick child nothing to lie on but one or two old blankets and a mat or under bed of straw. In the September following, your Petitioner finding that he could not live in Peace or Safety with said Hannah, they mutually agreed to separate, and this is almost the only point on which they have agreed since the marriage. He gave her for her support such a share of the property he yet had (being part of his stock of horses, cattle, etc) as she said she was satisfied with. He consulted some of his neighbors as to the amount given her and they thought it sufficient, and on receiving this property said Hannah promised that she would interrupt him no more, but leave him to end his days in peace. But your Petitioner has heard since the separation that she says that she has taken this course, only for the purpose of getting what she can from him, and as soon as he shall have acquired a little more property, she will sue him for her maintenance.

Since the marriage, he has heard that MORRISS, the former husband of said Hannah, is now living in some part of East Tennessee. He believe this to be true, but is not able to prove it in a court of Justice, and to go or send to that part of the country for proof would cost a great part of the little he has left for his support.

Your Petitioner is desirous that it may be put out of said Hannah's power to plunder him any farther, and that he may have it in his power, to secure for his children and for his own support in old age the little property he has left, and what he may hereafter acquire by his labor.

He therefore prays that your Honorable body will make void the marriage aforesaid and divorce him & said Hannah from the bonds thereof. And your Petitioner shall ever pray etc.

John Weaver (his mark)

[Divorce date 18 OCT 1816]



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