Harrison County, Tx Griner vs Griner Submitted by Sara Rollins SRol786334@aol.com ************************************************************************ 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.usgwarchives.net/ *********************************************************************** The Divorce Seteria A. Griner District Court of Harrison County VS State of Texas September ??? 1856 William G. Griner page 1 To the Hon. W.W. Morris, judge of the 6th Judicial District of the State of Texas Your petitioner Seteria Ann Griner a citizen of the county and state aforesaid complaining showeth unto your honor that she is the current wife of the def- endant William G. Griner two citizens said county and state with whom she has lived under all the vicissitudes of life for about 19 years during which time she has even conducted herself as a chaste and virtuous lady performing all the various and manifest duties towards the defendant and their children incident to the spouse relations she bore him in the most exempliary manner and in the mean time has become the mother of four children the sexes whom all girls to wit: Priscilla E. Sojourner the wife of Thomas J. Sojourner, Bethany Knight and Seteria A.W. Griner are still alive this last 12 and the other unmarried daughter 14 years of age. That instead of her exemplary conduct and example softening this marriage of her said husband he has ever proven himself both as a citizen and a husband and abroad at home a man of a perverse turbulant and unhappy dispositition and has seemed to make is a great part of the business of his life to render those around him like himself wretched and unhappy coming a time in the course of this married life has he left your petitioner to provide for herself and both children and several small negros unable to aid her and remains absent from home for months at a time on no known business or without any informing your petitioner where he was or for what purpose he was absent while she and this family were reduced to great extremity in so much that at times the only bread for all of them was the meal ground or with Seterianns own hands on a steel mill a hardship to which in the earlier part of her life she hast from this manner of her raising been wholly unfitted . That when at home his life has been one of tumult and broils with his neighbors around him in so much that several times in the course of his life he has had to break up suddenly and at great sacrifice of property fly to a distant region to escape the indignation and punishment to most of an outraged neighborhood to the great discomfort and distress of your petitioner and children. That his precipitate flight to Texas (in which he abondoned his farm with a growing crop on it with other property he could not remove all of which was afterwards seized and sold at a great scacifice to satisfy this judgement in this case) Was occasioned by a suit in heavy damages for slandering a neighbor. again his removal to this county was on the notice, of the people in the neighborhood that for his mis- conduct he must quit farming this county, his residence in this state. page 2 That during all these trials and applications so outrageous to a wife she has followed up and clung to her said husband with this utmost fidelity and devotion. That in return for all these sacrifices of comfort and of womanly pride and feelings she has received at his hands for years past a course of ill treatment in innumerable ways took his misbehavior towards others about and around his person that a very faint and imperfect index. In so much that this instead of a place consecrated to peace and domestic fidelity has been converted by him into an abode of discord and a perfect torment to your petitioner. Your petitioner charges her said husband William G. Griner with being guilty of excess cruel treatment and outrageous conduct toward her and that such ill treatment is of such a nature as to render their living together wholly unsupportable. Your petitioner charges this said defendant with having witnessed published and circulated at sundry times and to diverse persons in Harrison and Cass Counties Texas and in this town of Jefferson during this spring of 1856 and this neighborhood around about where your petitioner is well known and has ever been esteemed a chaste and virtuous lady the most sorely false and injurous slanders upon the character and good names of your petitioner as a woman of chaste and virtuous conduct. That he accused your petitioner to others and circulated the report that petitioner has been guilty of illicit carnal intercourse with her said son in law, the man who, but a few months ago married with the approbation of both parents their eldest daughter and with whom so far as petitioner knows he has ever lived in harmony. That charge is doubly false unnatural and cruelly inhuman and calculated to destroy not only the peace and happiness of the family that of his own daughter, as well as your petitioner but to blast the hopes and propects, and comes with infamy and disgrace for their two younger daughters now approaching their womanhood. That when taxed with the guilt of such injureous conduct he admitted circulating such report and its falsehood and raised his hand in act to strike petitioner and would have done it to his wife had she not caught his arm to prevent him. That after this he remained on the place for sometime and she betook herself for safety and protection at night to the room of her daughter and son in law, who resided in the same house having after his marriage until his force with those of defendant and taken charge of all to make a crop on shares that for suffering this the said defendant has authorized ??????? the solution to kill their son in law or said he would or might be killed that having no relations near and no place handy the defendant at length unable to drive himself ??????????? page 3 but looked about in the neighborhood near and returned to the premises at night and concealed himself as petitioner is informed by slipping under the house. That unable to do better and yet unable to indure this state of existance longer she sent ten dollars on Saturday this 26th of April last for legal counsil and asks as to what was best to be done in the premises that the said defendant so petitioner believes appraised of affairs of this returned to the place at night and took off and started for parts unknown with the property separate and common that he could lay his hands on or control. Petitioner charges that this said defendant at the time defendant took and carried off from the premises to some region unknown to your petitioner the following property to wit: 1. negro man maned Handy about 20 years old of black color and worth $1500..A negro girl named Creasy of black complection about 16 years old and very likely worth $1200. Jordan a black boy about 12 years old and worth $900. Also two valuable mules one of them petitioners saddle mule, worth $550.These two valuable horses worth $125. each or $375. as of the very last of August with his wagon and yoke of oxen?. He took off also at the same time in addition to this common property before mentioned the following separate property claiming and held by your petitioner in her own support to wit: Suttie of black color about 20 years old and her two children Louise about 5 years old and Ann about 2 worth altogether $1800. The said defendant took off also the title papers to all the various tracts of land owned by himself and petitioner in common as herinafter mentioned. Petitioner is informed by the purchasers, who came for his clothing that the said defendant has sold the woman Suttie and her youngest child for whom he has already received $600. in part having a balance yet unpaid of $500. in the hands of Brother Weatherford the forechosen. That said defendant holds in his house the note of William Ford on which is yet unpaid about $600. being a balance of the purchase money for 374 acres of land situated in Smith County purchased of Sograve and owned by petitioner and husband as common property. That the defendant holds claims considerable amount on other persons to wit; David Hill of Smith Co.Texas $250. Peter I.Z.Boon but on whom or the precise amounts she cannot state. Petitioner shows that she and defendant own as common property all of which is paid for and unemcumbered the following tracts or parcels of land to wit: 1st The residence or homestead consisting of 270 acres a part of the headright of Rudolph Voyles conveyed by Rudolph Voyles December 18, 1847 and worth $5.00 per acre or about $1400. page 4 2nd Another tract of 33 acres of land, common property a part of the headright of James Earp and transferred by defendant at the sherriff's sale of Andrew J. Page estate both tracts situated in Harrison County between the cypresses some 12 miles north of Mondale the last mentioned to me is worth about $3. per acre or the sum of $960. 3rd Another tract of 640 acres common property the former homestead or residence of petitioner and husband within 4 miles of the town of Bonham in Fannin County in this state being the headrightof William Onstat and is worth about $5.00 per acre or $3200. 4th Another section of 640 acres in the same county about 12 miles from Bonham in the neighborhood of Brawley and it being the headright of Alsey Fuller being common property and worth $3.00 per acre or about $1920. Petitioner verily believes it to be the purpose and intention of said defendant to sell and dispose of all the property he can make way with land as well as negros and thus deprive your petitioner of the means of support and their children now arrived at an age that will not admit of delay all appropriations securing an education. Petitioner would show that in addition to the common property taken off as aforesaid and the land, all of which is in a wild and unproductive state except 120 acres? of the homestead this said defendant left on the premises the following property. 1 old mare and cold worth some $125. 2nd about 20 head of cattle worth about $100. 3rd about 18 head of hogs worth $20. 4th Farming tools worth $25. and blacksmith tools worth about $50. The building and furnishings about the house is the separate from part of your petitioner. She was also in her own right a negro woman named Hancet about 25 years old and her four children John 6 Rebecca 5 Frank 4 and Mack 1 year old worth altogether $2000. which constitutes all the property owned either jointly or separately by defendant and your petitioner. That dedendant owed no debts to the knowledge of your petitioner at the time he went off. For a more full and perfect discription of said several tracts of land from number 1 to 5 inclusive petitioner registers the field notes and the copies of the conveyance the defendant having the originals in his possession which will be filed as a part of the suit so soon as they can be procured from the proper offices. page 5 Your petitioner therupon prays the premises considered that the court and a final hearing of the cause shall adjudge and decree her to be awarded from the bonds of matrimony and from thence forward released from all the duties and obligations of the marriage relations with and towards the said defendant. That the said court order and decree fair and just account and division of the property aforesaid and decree, set apart and assign over to your petitioner her just and legal share thenupon,of these properties and in as much as the said defendant has sold and disposed of a part of the separate property and taken off with him more to wit the said woman Settie and her two children and taken off and appropriated to himself a large amount of their common property to which your petitioner is legally intitled. She prays that a just and fair compensation may be decided thereupon to your petitioner out of the common property of the defendant. Petitioner prays that she be allowed to have or retain the custody of the two children and superintend their education or best she can and in as much so the said defendant her taken off all the active and working part of the property to wit: Handy a negro man Settie a negro woman, Creasy a stout girl of 16 and Jordan a large boy of 12 years old whose hire in the aggragation to be worth $600.a year together with all the mules and horses aforesaid and oxen and wagon being all the property capable of farming anything for the support of the samily, the said woman Harriet being hardly able to earn her own expenses as that of her four small children, your petitioner prays that the said defendant be required and decreed to pay over annually as often as twice a year until this suit is finally decided such sum of money for the support and maintainance of your petitioner and chldren as may seem right and proper. Petitioner prays that said defendant be decreed to pay all costs and expenses incurred by her in and about her said suit and for all such other and further relief in the premises as both in the law and the equity of this case may belong and or in duty bound your petitioner will ever pray. J. Marshall Attorney for petitioner