Divorce Court - Adultery with Certain Lewd Women

Last weekend, I wrote about my 2X great-grandmother who was married 4 times. Chris Dunham of the Maine Genealogy Network sent me a link to this record of the divorce of Lizzie M. Philbrick from Francis Llewellyn Cotton. Interestingly, my grandmother always claimed her father, Ray Everett Cotton (referred to as the child, Everett R, in this proceeding), was quite the ladies man and not a faithful husband. I guess the apple didn't fall far from the tree. 

No. 205

Lizzie M. Cotton

Lbt.

vs.

Francis L. Cotton

Lizzie M. Cotton of Farmington within our 

County of Franklin Libellant

versus

Francis L. Cotton of Norway in the County of 

Oxford, Libellee

In a plea of divorce from the bonds of

matrimony as herein set forth, viz:

To the Honorable Justices of the Supreme

Judicial Court next to be holden at Farmington

within and for the County of Frankin, State 

of Maine, on the first Tuesday of March A.D. 1893.

Lizzie M. Cotton of Farmington in the 

County of Franklin and State of Maine, re-

spectfully libels and gives this Honorable Court 

to be informed that her maiden name was

Lizzie M. Philbrick; that on the twenty first day

of September A.D. 1887, at Norway in the County 

of Oxford in the State of Maine, she was law-

fully married to Francis L. Cotton (whose legal

wife she now is) by Caroline Angell, a minis-

ter of the gospel duly authorized to solemnize

marriages, that she has one  child as the re-

sult of said marriage, named Everett R. Cotton, 

aged four years. That ever since said intermar-

riage your libellant has always considered her-

self as a faithful, chaste, and affectionate wife

toward her said husband, yet the said Fran-

cis L. Cotton, wholly regardless of his marriage

covenant and duty on the first day of July

A.D. 1889, and on divers other days and times 

between that day and the date of this libel

committed the crime of adultery with certain lewd

women to your libellant unknown. 

Wherefore she prays that the bonds of mat-

rimony between her and her said husband may                Mar. 5, 1893

be dissolved, and that the care and custody of

her said Child, Everett R. Cotton may be de-

creed to her.

Dated this twenty sixth day of January A.D. 1893

Lizzie M. Cotton

This libel was inserted in a writ of attach-

ment and served on the libellee as appears by

the following return of service thereon:

“Oxford as. February 2, 1893.

I attached a chip as the property of the within de-

fendant and I have this day summoned the

within named defendant for his appearance at 

Court by giving him a summons writ in hand, 

and also a true and attested copy of the within

libel for his appearance at Court. 

Jonathan Blake

Deputy Sheriff”

This libel was entered in this Court at the

present term when and where the defendant 

failed to appear and although solemnly called

made default; and on the seventh day of the term

after a full hearing it was adjudged and decreed

that the said Lizzie M. Cotton be granted a divorce

from Francis L. Cotton for the cause of adultery; 

and it was further decreed that the custody of the

minor child be given to the mother. 

Attest

E. E. Richardson  Clerk