I erred, and am sorry; while Janet sent me the citation this evening giving credit to Ann for her first contribution of that source, for reasons unknown, it simply slipped by me.  I am sorry, Ann, and surely meant no sleight of you.

Paul
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Paul Drake 
  Sent: Saturday, September 17, 2005 5:34 PM
  Subject: word "divorce" in early VA records


  Thanks much to Janet Hunter, here is a cite to a case in a VA court speaking of and granting a divorce.  There are other court granted divorces in the other colonies, of course, however this one seems clear and is from 1655. 

  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.] 

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