Petition of Phebe Philips asking for a divorce

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The Petition of Phebe Philips for a Divorce

Singer Feby 1847 Judiciary

Wisconsin Territory Dane County SS

Personally appeared before me this first day of February 1843 the [illegible] married Phebe Phillips and made oath that the statements made in the foregoing Petition are true to the best of her knowledge information & belief.

Wm. H. Seymore Justice of the Peace

To the Legislative Assembly of the Territory of Wisconsin

The Petition of Phebe Philips of the county of Dane in said Territory showeth that your Petitioner is a resident of the county of Dane and has resided in said county more than one year & intends to reside here permanently.

That sometime in the month of December in the year Eighteen hundred & thirty nine, at Lockport in the State of New York in the month of December, she was married to one Pat Philips then of the county of Niagara in the state of New York - that after said marriage she resides with the said Pat Philips until sometime in the monthof July in the year 1842 - that during much of the time she so lived with the said Philips he was addicted to the vice of gambling and other vices & pursued no honest calling for a livelihood - that [illegible] or [illegible] the month of July 1842 aforesaid her husband then residing in the county of Wayne in the State of New York the said Philips was arrested on divers criminal charges & lodged in the county jail of said county of Wayne, where he remained for some time, as your Petitioner is informed and believes & had divers trials on criminal charges, and there remained as your Petitioner is informed and believes until about the month of August 1843 at or

about which time the said Philips was tried for a criminal offence in the county of Wayne & convicted & sentenced to the State's Prison of New York, for the term of seven years - and under such sentence was committed to the states prison at Auburn.

Your Petitioner states that she cannot set forth particularly the charges & proceedings against her said husband as during the time the foregoing proceedings were had, she had sought & enjoyed a home with her Father in Niagara County in said state.

Your Petitioner further states that since his first arrest above mentioned he has never contributed any thing to the support of your Petitioner.

Your Petitioner further states that she is now informed by letter from the said Pat Philips that he has obtained a release from said imprisonment and is now at large and your Petitioner liable to be interrupted and disturbed in her present comfortable condition by the said Pat Philips that from his heretofore dissolute life she has [illegible] hopes of a reform in him & that under the circumstances she ought not to be compelled to live with him or to be in any manner bound by the marriage contract existing between your petitioner & the said Philips & therefore pray your Honorable body, by an act to be passed for that purpose to divorce your Petitioner from her said husband.

Phebe Phillips