KY STATEWIDE: Divorces submitted by Shirley Reynolds, southern@lcc.net, Oct & Nov 1999 ************************************************************************ 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. ************************************************************************ The only way to get a divorce in the State of Kentucky before the year 1809 was by an act of the state legislature. In January of 1809 the circuit courts were given authority to grant divorces. Some of these records come from a list of made by a gentleman named Glenn Cliff while he was working at the Kentucky Historical Society in the 1950's. This list of divorces was printed in the magazine "Bluegrass Roots" published by the Kentucky Genealogical Society beginning in the Spring of 1980. Some of these records I found while searching through the individual counties in the circuit court clerk's records and some are from reports of the Kentucky State Legislature. Adair, John v Dicy Adair Granted Feb 27, 1849 Curry, Amanda F. v Robert W. Curry Granted Jan 5, 1837 Jordan, Richard S. v Catherine Jordan Granted Dec 19, 1836 Justice, Betsy v Frederick Justice Granted Jan 12, 1825 Grider, Eliza Jane v William Grider Granted Feb 6, 1839 Restored to her maiden name Eliza Jane Higginbotham. Grider, William E. v Eliza Jane Grider Granted Jan 29, 1840 Mosley, Nancy v John O. Mosley Granted Dec 10, 1822 Jones, John (Trigg Co.) v Friney Jones Granted Feb 28, 1849 His marriage to Martha Jewell legalized. Jones, Elizabeth v Husband not named Granted Jan 22, 1798 "This act authorizes Elizabeth Jones to be divorced from her husband if he shall be found by a jury to have deserted her and lived in open adultery with another woman in any state except Kentucky." Jones, Emily E. v William Jones Granted Jan 5, 1837 Lamaster, Catharine (Shelby Co.)v Irvin Lamaster Granted Feb 29, 1849 Restored to her maiden name Catharine Miles. Her child's name also changed to Miles. Skeeters, Amanda v William R. Skeeters Granted Mar 3, 1842 Restored to her maiden name Amanda Fryrear. Noel, Adella v Robert Noel Granted Feb 28, 1842 Norton, William v Harriet Norton Granted Feb 28, 1849 Adams, Elizabeth v William Adams Granted Dec 9,1799 Alford, Fielding v Sally Alford Granted Dec 9, 1821 Smoot, Memory v John Smoot Granted Mar 4, 1843 Restored to her maiden name Memory Razor Stamper, Richard v Rebecca Stamper Granted Feb 28, 1848 Roberts, Eliza Jane v Oscar Roberts Granted Jan 24, 1845 Restored to her maiden name Eliza Jane Chenoweth. Wheeler, Harriet J. v Green H. Wheeler Granted Feb 12, 1849 Her marriage to David Wade legalized. Ferguson, Kitty v James Ferguson Granted Nov 26, 1831 He was restored to rights of a single man by Act of Legislature. Floyd, Matilda v William S. Floyd Granted Feb 12, 1838 She was restored to name Matilda A. Harrington. He was restored to all rights and privileges of an unmarried man by Act of Legislature. Funk, John v Susannah Funk Granted Jan 22,1798 Ewing, Henrietta v Charles Ewing Granted Feb 3, 1808 Ennis, William R. (Grant Co.)v Almeda Ennis - nee Albrey Granted Feb 28, 1848. His marriage to Margaret Green of Boone Co. legalized. Caycraft, Keziah v William Caycraft Granted Jan 17,1839 Restored to her maiden name Keziah Ratliffe. Hall, Sereny v John B. Hall Granted Feb 16,1841 Restored to her maiden name Sereny Miller. Hazel, Sarah v William Hazel Granted Mar 1, 1848 Restored to her maiden name Sarah Johnson, name of child Anna Hazel changed to Anna Johnson. Some of these records do have grounds for the divorce - desertion, cruelty, adultery, abandoment, unchaste behavior, etc. In the interest of propiety and so as not to embarress anyone I did not include them. Date: Sun, 31 Oct 1999 12:11:26 -0600 From: "shirleyreynolds"