Wayne County, NC - John O'Quin's Petition For Divorce

                       ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

JOHN O'QUIN'S PETITION FOR DIVORCE

To the Honorable the General Assembly of the State of North Carolina

The Petition of John O Quin of the County of Wayne humbly represents:

     That your Petitioner about Eight or Ten years ago in the Town of
Wilmington, in Company with sundry Others, who were disposed to spend 
the evening in a Convivial Manner; (after having recourse to the 
inebriating liquors, as an impetus to their actions) repaired to a 
House in the Town where the Occupants were of the Female sex; and 
notorious for their Prostitution.

     Your Petitioner being then in the prime of life, and a disposition
rather Volatile,--he did not hesitate to become one of the company, and 
expatiated freely on the subject of matrimony;--------He did not believe 
that any scandal would result from such conduct, as a Justice of the 
Peace was in Company with him;--and as his sole object was,--the 
Acquisition of knowledge to enable him the better to discriminate: between 
women of Virtuous, and Vicious habits.-----

     He further States that, But a short time had elapsed, before the
inebriating liquors proved absolutely predominent; and your Petitioner 
became utterly insensible of the Transactions of the Night.

     Your Petitioner further States that in the morning when he awoke, to
his inexpressible Mortification, there lay by his side a Huge Mass of 
Creation, purporting to be of the Female sex, who called herself Mary 
Jackson;--whose uncouth appearance indicated that she was formed by nature 
in a rude and ranting frolic--and whose touch alone was amply sufficient 
to recoil the feelings of the most profligate wretch in society-----------

     Your Petitioner further States that he hastily arose from his bed, and
enquired into the cause of her intrusion upon his repose; When he was 
informed that a Justice of the Peace who was in company in a fit of 
intoxication had joined them together as man and wife, and at a time when 
your Petitioner was utterly insensible of the whole transaction--Upon this
information he precepetately retire, with pungent feelings of grief; and 
Alas! when too late protested against the proceedings of that fatal night.

     This fortuitous occurrence has proved as destructive to the repose of
your Petitioner; and has excited as much consternation among his friends;  
as was experienced by the Trojans, upon the introduction of the Grecian 
Horse into Troy.

     Your Petitioner further states, that he is firmly impressed with the
Belief, that if none of the fair sex, were Ornamented with features and 
forms more enchanting than this Mary Jackson: procreation would certainly 
cease, and be forgotten.

     Your Petitioner further States, that the said Mary Jackson has gone
off, as a Prostitute to Canada, with the troops of the United States;------
and it is, as reasonable an expectation, that a Camel can go through the 
eye of a needle: or the Leopard change his skin; as to believe that the 
said Mary, and your Petitioner will ever dwell together-------And as our 
Moral and civil institutions require that all contracts (if obligatory) 
should be entered unto, with the free and full consent of both parties. 
He prays the enterposition of your Honorable Body in his behalf; and hopes
that the marriage aforesaid may be absolutely abrogated by an act of your 
Honorable Body, and he as in duty bound will ever pray &c.
                                               John O. Quin

State of North Carolina
     Wayne County

This may Certify, that before us Jacob Kornegay and William Bizzell two of
the Justices of the County Court of pleas and Quarter Sessions of the 
County Wayne on the 11th. day November 1813 at the house of the Jacob 
Kornegay's, Personally came and appeared before us Uriah Bass Jr. who
being sworn, Saith in May last he was in Washington that John O'Quin gave
him a Letter to Carry, to John Darden, for the purpose of Inquiring for a 
Woman by the name of Mary Jackson that he could not find Darden in Town, 
that he gave the Letter to William D. Miller and the sd. Miller Read the
Letter and said there had been such a Woman in Town but was then gone off
with the Soldiers and if O'Quin wanted to Marry he might do so that she 
never would come back to interrupt him.
J. Kornegay                                     W. Bass Jr.
Wm. Bizzell

On reverse:  The Petition of John O. Quin of the County of Wayne. In Senate
Novemr. 24th. 1813. Read & refered to the Committee on Divorce & Alimony.  
By order J. M. Stokes Clk. In House of Commons 25 November 1813. Read and 
rejected. By order Henderson Clk. J. W. McKinnie.
Source: General Assembly Session Records, November-December 1813.

___________________________________________________________________

Copyright. All rights reserved.
http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm

This file was contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by
Grace Williamson Turner
___________________________________________________________________