Francis P. Thompson vs. William Thomspon, Madison Co, GA Petition for Divorce - 1842 ***************************************************************** USGENWEB ARCHIVES NOTICE: These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by any other organization or persons. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material, must obtain the written consent of the contributor, or the legal representative of the submitter, and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of this consent. The submitter has given permission to the USGenWeb Archives to store the file permanently for free access. http://www.rootsweb/~usgenweb/ Submitted by Jeanne Arguelles - ejarguelles@msn.com http://files.usgwarchives.net/ga/madison/vital/divorce/thompdiv.txt ***************************************************************** Georgia Madison County 12 February 1842 To the Honorable the Superior Court of said County and State. The petition of Francis P. Thompson, formerly Francis P. Berryman, showeth that your petitioner, influenced by the sincerest love and affection for one William Thompson, intermarried with the said William Thompson, by which he became the husband of your petitioner on the eighteenth day of December in the year of our Lord One Thousand Eight Hundred and Thirty, and that for and during the period of about 12 months thereafter lived happy and contented, with her said husband. That at the expiration of that time, your petitioner began to discover that the love and affection of the said William had become entirely estranged from her, and that his general conduct was wholly derogatory to that duty and behavior which he owed to your petitioner as a kind, affectionate and lawful husband. That the said William has at divers times and on various occasions ill used, insulted and abused your petitioner in the most outrageous manner, by the most vexatious conduct, so as to manifest a total disregard for his duties and the rights of your petitioner, insomuch that the wrongs continuously heaped upon your petitioner became too insufferable to be borne by her, from one who, instead of being her companion and protector, had refused for months to associate or cohabit with her, or discharge any of the duties incident to the matrimonial state, but forcibly compelled your petitioner to leave his house and expressly forbid her ever returning anymore, thereby casting your petitioner upon the world without a home and without the means of support. And that the said William on various occasions and at divers times, before and after separating from your petitioner, did, contrary to his marriage vow, cohabit with other women, and that he lived for a long time, and as your petitioner believes is still living and cohabiting with other women in an adulterous and unlawful manner and that he even brings those into his house for the purpose of having illicit sexual intercourse with them, and for the purpose of inducing them to ill use, insult and abuse your petitioner in the most outrageous manner. Your petitioner, notwithstanding such unmerited, undutiful and improper conduct and treatment of the said William, her husband, bore it all as patiently as she could, consistently with her natural rights from a sincere wish to conceal his manifest improprieties, in the hope and expectation that by further manifestations of her love and affection in kind assiduities(?) to her said husband, that he might be induced to reform and alter his conduct and carriage and dishonor towards your petitioner with becoming and affectionate regard. That your petitioner had used every means in her power to deserve and merit the love and affections of the said William, and hath never acted toward him in such manner as could, or ought to have, alienated his regard or produced such impropriety of conduct on his part towards your petitioner. But the said William, notwithstanding the kind and dutiful conduct of your petitioner, and the continued expression of her desire to live with him in the state which they had contracted to live together as man and wife, did on or about the eighteenth day of January in the year of our Lord One Thousand Eight Hundred and Forty Two, forcibly compel your petitioner leave his bed and board, and hath ever since refused, and still doth refuse, to permit your petitioner to return and live with him as he is in duty bound to do. But continues separated from her in opposition to the obligation and duties due by him to your petitioner as a kind and affectionate husband -- all of which conduct of the said William your petitioner complains, and feels that it is necessary for her peace and comfort that a total dissolution of the marriage contract should be made between the said William and your petitioner -- wherefore your petitioner prays that process may issue requiring the said William Thompson, in person or by attorney, be and appear at the next Superior Court to be held in and for said county, there and then to announce your petitioner's Libel for and absolute Divorce. Henry D. Strickland February the 12th 1842 then serve a true copy of the within on William Thompson personally. Wm. W. Power, Sheriff Georgia Madison County To the Sheriff of said County Francis P. Thompson vs. William Thompson Libel for Divorce The defendant William Thompson is hereby required personally or by attorney to be and appear at the next Superior Court to be held in & for County on the second Monday in march next there to answer the Plaintiff in an action of Libel for an absolute Divorce or in default thereof the Court will proceed thence as to Justice shall appertain. Witness the Honorable Garnett Andrews, Judge of our said county this 11th day of February 1842. Abated by the death of the Defendant.