Mary Ransom Stone

American Friend, July 12, 1822

State of Ohio, 

Washington County, ss.

Clerk's Office Supreme Court, Marietta

July 6th, 1822

Whereas Mary Stone, of Marietta, in said county, hath this day filed in this Office, her petition to the Judges of the said Supreme Court, next to be holden within and for said county. Wherein she represents that on the 25th day of February, A.D. 1798, the said petitioner (then Mary Ransom) was lawfully married to Derick Stone, then of Sandgate, county of Bennington and state of Vermont. That she has been abused and neglected by her said husband - who in the month of June, 1818, ordered and obliged her to quit the house wherein they then resided.  And that, ever since that time, the said Derick has wholly neglected and absented himself from said petitioner, nor has he in any way contributed to her support and maintenance. And praying for the causes aforesaid, that the bands of matrimony between said Mary and Derick Stone may be dissolved, &c.

Notice is, therefore, hereby given to the said Derick Stone, that he be and appear before the Judges of our said Supreme Court at the Court house in Marietta, in said county, on the seventeenth day of October next, being the first day of the next term of said Court, within, and for said county, to answer the allegations of said petition, and shew cause if any he have, why the prayer thereof should not be granted.

Attest,

Geo. Dunlevy, Clerk.

Reuben Merriam Atty. for Petitioner.

[Note: "1798 Feb. 25  Derick Stone and Polly Ransom," as published in "Sandgate, Vermont, Marriages (A list of persons married by James Murdock)," Genealogy: A Journal of American Ancestry, ed. by William Montgomery Clemens, Vol. X, No. 5, October 1921, p. 39]

 

Divorces

The Home News, March 3, 1860

Two unhappy couples have had the silken (?) bands removed by the influence of Judge Nash, at the present term of Court.  Mrs. H. J. Cammel asked the favor on the charge of "extreme cruelty" on the part of her late liege lord, M. M. Cammel; and Mrs.Eunice Hartshorn, because her worser half has been wilfully absent without just cause or provocation three years.

Stars Over Her Door

Marietta Daily Leader, June 2, 1904

To Drive the Witches Away

Amusing Testimony in the McCormick Divorce Case

The suit for divorce and alimony which Mrs. Harry McCormick of this city brought against her husband in the court of common pleas of this county was up for hearing Wednesday and brought forth much testimony not suitable to print. The case will be finished today.

One bit of information brought out in the hearing Wednesday shows that superstition and belief in witchcraft are not yet a thing of the past even in the enlightened city of Marietta.

A succession of questions and answers regarding certain acts of Mrs. McCormick resulted in bringing out the following.

Mrs. McCormick was sick and some of the neighbors told her that an old lady living near her home was a witch and that she was probably bewitching her. Mrs. McCormick took their advice and placed three stars over the door of her house to drive off the witches. She denied, however, that she ever told her husband that she was bewitched.

 

Take Notice

Ohio Gazette and Virginia Herald, April 24, 1806

That whereas my wife Betsy has without any just cause or provocation eloped from my bed and board, this is therefore to forewarn all manner of persons of every description from trusting her on my account as I am determined not to pay any debts of her contracting from and after this date.

April 9th, 1806

Jerett (Jared) Jones

Notice

American Friend, & Marietta Gazette, November 1, 1828

Notice is hereby given to Frederick De Bearen, otherwise called Van Bearen (whose present residence is unknown) that a petition will be presented to the General Assembly, of the State of Ohio, at the next Session, to commence at Columbus, on the first Monday of December next, by Elizabeth De Steiguer (late of the county of Athens, now of the county of Washington) for the passage of a special act, to declare void the marriage heretofore celebrated between her and the said Frederick De Bearen, without the consent and against the will of the said Elizabeth; and for such other relief, from the same as the said Legislature may grant.

Marietta, Ohio, Oct. 29th, 1828.

Divorce Mill Grinds

The Daily Register, April 13, 1900

Number of New Cases of Domestic Infelicity on the Appearance Docket in Common Pleas Court.

Thursday afternoon was a busy season for Clerk Trotter in Common Pleas Court, several new cases being filed, among which were a number founded on alleged marital troubles of various kinds.

Susan Nelson seeks a divorce from her husband, Frederick Nelson, on the ground of willful absence for more than three years past, gross neglect of duty, habitual drunkenness and unfaithfulness.  Mary Moore, of Athens county, is named as co-respondent.  The couple were married in Dunham township, May 5th, 1896, and have one child aged three years.  The plaintiff asks for a decree of divorce, custody of the child and reasonable alimony.

Mary A. Milbaugh vs. Jacob Milbaugh is the title of another suit founded on alleged cruelty and neglect of duty.  The couple were married in Marietta, July 6th, 1881, and have one child nine years old.  The plaintiff alleges in her petition that the defendant cursed and threatened to strike and did strike her and ordered her to leave her home.  On April 6th, 1900, she left him and has not lived with him as his wife since that date.  She asks for custody of the child and alimony.

John W. Hill asks separation from his wife, Rosalie Hill, on the ground of willful absence for more than three years.  They were united in marriage, July 18th, 1878, in Wood county, W. Va., and have one child thirteen years of age.

The most sensational suit of the number is that entitled William McGinnis against Frank Stegg, an action for five thousand dollars alleged damages for the alienation of the affections of the plaintiff's wife.  The plaintiff charges in his petition that on January 4th, in certain hotel in this city, the defendant wickedly debauched Flora H. McGinnis, wife of the plaintiff, who has thereby suffered great distress of mind and great shame and dishonor.

Carver Divorce Hearing Ended

The Marietta Daily Times, December 13, 1922

In accordance with the usual procedure, Judge Thomas has withheld his decision in the Carver divorce case, which was tried in common pleas court this week, and it is expected that at least thirty days will elapse before the matter finally is passed upon.  Judging from the remarks made by Judge Thomas at the conclusion of the hearing, it is doubtful if a decree will be forthcoming.

The Carvers, Adonis and Margaret, according to their own stories, have had a stormy career during their married life.  The wife accused the husband of cursing her and beating her and the husband admitted the truth of the charge, but declared that he received similar treatment from the wife.  "When she cussed me, I cussed her, and she slapped and struck me as often as I did her," the husband told Judge Thomas during progress of the trial, then he related numerous instances of this sort.  He declared that his wife would get angry at him if he refused to humor her demands and would follow his motor truck through the streets screaming and crying until he would "crouch down in his clothes from shame."  He said he just couldn't help swearing, as it came naturally to him.

"She got my goat once when she said my father and mother were damned liars, and then, Judge, I hit her," the husband declared, adding that he could not stand for such a thing.  "I guess it was about fifty-fifty as far as rough treatment was concerned," Carver stated in court, and Judge Thomas indicated that that was about the way he viewed the matter.  He made it plain that custody of the minor child will be awarded to the mother.