Here is the text of the Buckland divorce from the Northampton County VA court record book, Volume 7, folio 16:

Whereas Mary Chillcocke (als Buckland) hath petitioned the Court for a Bill of divorce from her husband Richard Buckland; who hath lived from her many yeares, & continued in an adulterous life; which case the Court examininge & findeinge by ye Cirtiffict from Mr. Edm: Scarburgh; Mr Tho: Johnson & Mr Richard Vaughan who examyned ye sd Buckland & found by his confession made to them; that ye sd Buckland had lived in adultery wth Mary Russell a longe tyme; & had a male bastard by her for wch cause divorce is by Lawe to bee granted; The Court therefore have ordrd that ye sd Mary Cilcocke bee hereby declared to bee divorced by lawefull authoritye & consequentlye to dispose of herselfe in marriage att her discretion And that the sd Richard Buckland be whipped & banished out of this county of Northampton. Recorded 20th Septembr 1655 p Edm: Mathewes Clir Cur.

[source: Mackey, Howard and Marlene Groves. Northampton County VA Record Book, Volumes 6 and 7-8 1655-1657. Picton Press, 2002.]

I descend from Richard Hanby's first marriage to Elizabeth Gethings(?). Hanby married (2) Mary Chilcott, (3) Elizabeth (surname unknown).

Ann Blomquist
Orlando, FL


  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Paul Drake 
  To: Ann Blomquist 
  Sent: Wednesday, August 10, 2005 8:12 PM
  Subject: Re: Divorce in antebellum America


  Hi, Ms. Ann. Have you a citation to that court order, please?


    ----- Original Message ----- 
    From: Ann Blomquist 
    To: [log in to unmask] 
    Sent: Wednesday, August 10, 2005 7:08 PM
    Subject: Divorce in antebellum America


    I am certain the county courts could grant divorces because my ancestor Richard Hanby (Hamby) married divorced Mary Chilcott Buckland in August 1655 in Northampton County VA. She was granted a divorce from her husband of ten years by the Northampton County Court that year. Richard Buckland also married again-- he married widow Charity Coulson in Sep 1660 in Northampton Co VA (and then proceeded to cause her problems, too).

    Ann Blomquist
    Orlando, FL


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