Thankful Thursday - The Williamson Divorce

William Williamson was the brother of my 3rd great-grandmother, Rebecca (Williamson) Carter. He married Alfreda Bean, aka Lydia Alfreda Bean, who was 19 years younger and they had two children. Twelve years after they were married, she was granted a divorce on the grounds that he deserted her and treated her with "unkindness and neglect." I wonder if he was around when the divorce was filed since from 1864-1866 he was acting assistant surgeon with the army in Eastville, Virginia. 

Chris Dunham of the Maine Genealogy Network found this court record of the divorce proceedings on Family Search. I am very thankful for all the help Chris has provided me. I highly recommend the Maine Genealogy Network to any genealogist with Maine connections! 

To the Hon. Justices of the Supreme Judicial Court

to be holden at Paris within and for the County of

Oxford on the third Tuesday of September AD 1866.

            The undersigned, Alfreda L. Williamson

wife of William Williamson of Bethel in said County

respectfully libels and gives this Court to be informed

that she was lawfully married to the said William

Williamson at said Bethel on the twenty fifth day

of August AD 1854 and that they lived together at

said Bethel as husband and wife for several

years after their said marriage; that she had by

him two children, one of whom only, Julia

Williamson, aged eleven years, is living;

that she has always conducted towards him as

an affectionate, chaste and faithful wife, yet the

said William Williamson wholly regardless

of his marriage covenant and duty, on the tenth

day of July A.D. 1860 wholly abandoned and

deserted her and has continued his desertion

up to the present time, and ever since their said

marriage has treated her with great unkindness and neglect;

            Deeming it reasonable and proper and conducive

to domestic harmony and consistent with the

peace and morality of society that she should

be divorced from the said Williamson, she prays,

right and justice, and that she may be divorced

from the bands of matrimony between her and

her said husband, and that the custody of the

said Julia Williamson, on account of her

tender years and the neglect of said Williamson

may be committed to her and as in duty

bound will ever pray.

August 8, 1866                      Alfreda L. Williamson

            This libel was entered at the present term and when

the Libellant appears but the Respondent though called

to come into Court does not appear, but makes default.

And now the material facts alleged in said libel

having been fully proved, it is ordered and decreed by

the Court that the bonds of matrimony heretofore existing

between the said Alfreda L. Williamson and the said

Williamson be and hereby are dissolved for the causes

set forth in said libel and that the custody of the

minor child Julia Williamson be intrusted to the libellant.