Wedding Wednesday: Minnie & Bennett B. Smith

Washington Post (DC)
1907

Mrs. Minnie Smith of 924 New York avenue, filed for partial divorce against her husband, Bennett B. Smith of 617 Sixth street northwest. She asks that the husband be required to contribute toward the support of herself and their two children. The marriage took place in Prince William County, Va., April 19, 1892, and the couple separated eight years ago. Mrs. Smith says her husband makes about $100 a month, and has never contributed to her support or that of their children since the separation.

Wedding Wednesday: Divorce: Mary E. (Dixon) Beacham

Washington Times (DC)
10 June 1895

Divorce Follows Desertion

Judge Hagner on Saturday granted Mrs. Mary E. Beacham a divorce from John A. Beacham, of Seventh street southwest.  They were married in Prince William county in 1888. Three years ago he deserted her to live with another woman, and for that she was given her freedom. She is also permitted to resume her maiden name, Mary E. Dixon.

Wedding Wednesday: John T. Haydon Granted Divorce

Baltimore Sun (Maryland)
13 August 1920

John T. Haydon Granted Divorce

Judge Preston signed a decree in Circuit Court at Towson yesterday granting John T. Haydon an absolute divorce from Eunice W. Haydon on the ground of abandonment.  The parties were married April 2, 1913, and the wife abandoned her husband, according to the testimony, on August 5, 1916, because of her distaste for life on the farm. Mr. Haydon came from Prince William county, Virginia, in December, 1913, since which time he has been engaged in farming at Glencoe Baltimore county.

Wedding Wednesday: Elizabeth A. (Bessie) Leachman/John L. Elliott

DIOCESE OF MARYLAND

CHURCH OF THE EPIPHANY,

Washington, D.C.

This is to Certify that on the Twenty Seventh day of October in the year of Our Lord, One Thousand Eight Hundred and Eighty Eight at Epiphany Church in the City of Washington D.C.

joined together in 

HOLY MATRIMONY

John L. Elliott and

Bessie A. Leachman

according to the Rites of the 

Protestant Episcopal Church

in the United States of America, and in Conformity with

the Laws of the District of Columbia.

Arthur S. Phelps

Assistant Minister

[Bessie Leachman was the daughter of John T. Leachman.  In 1900 she sued for and won divorce from her husband, John Elliott, on grounds of abandonment.  She was awarded $20,000 as alimony and reimbursement of her legal fees.  Three children were born of the union:  Bettie Lewis Elliot "who will be eleven years of age in January," John Love Elliot (9 years old in 1900), and "Nan Leachman Elliot who was born in Sept. 1896 and died during July 1897."  Bessie was given uncontested custody of her two children.]

Wedding Wednesday: Mary Belle (Pridmore) Merchant / Benjamin Merchant

You never know what you're going to find when sifting through chancery and legal cases.  The marriage license shown below was an exhibit in the 1913 divorce suit between Mary Belle (Pridmore) Merchant and husband Benjamin Merchant.  It is a gold mine of information, including the names of both bride and groom's parents.  In addition, the case itself mentions the name of their child, Warren Merchant.

This divorce case can be found online at the Library of Virginia's digital collection under the chancery records.

(The suit was dismissed on 5 May 1913 at Mary's request.) 

Friday's Faces From the Past: Cora Bell Beavers

Below is a photo found among the chancery papers of the 1918 PWCo divorce case between Cora E. Beavers v. Samuel T. Beavers.  Cora was accompanied by her younger brother, Robert, and neighbor, Willie Keys, on a trip to the big city -- Washington, DC -- and had a souvenir photo-postcard made of the event.  This postcard was later introduced by Samuel Beavers in a counterclaim that Cora was unfaithful to him and having an affair with Willie, which she denied.  The Court found in Cora's favor, granting the divorce.

Robert Luther Bell, Willie ("Wylie") Keys, and Cora Bell Beavers
1918