Sumner County, TN Archives Lawsuit #10039
From the Loose Records of Sumner Co, TN
To the Honorable Thomas Stuart ___ of the ___ of the ___ county in and
for the State of Tennessee.
Your Petitioner Stephen Stalcup who is a citizen of this state and has
been a resident therein from his nativity to this ___ ___ leave __
represent to your Honor that some time in January 1818 he intermarried
with a certain Peggy Pill( or Pull?) of the county of Sumner and State
aforesaid; that they lived together __ a few months, perhaps about four
when he discovered that the said Peggy kept up an unusual intercourse
with one Andrew Cavitt; that he always ___said Peggy tenderly and
affectionately ___ said discovery; that he was not guilty of adultery
or any offense that was __ with the matrimonial vow after said marriage
until he discovered that the said Peggy was guilty of the crime of
adultery with the aforesaid Cavitt. That ___ his life __ and __ never
since admitted him in to his __ as a wife; that after your Petitioner
remained absent from this country about four months and on his return
found the said Peggy actually cohabited with the said Andrew as husband
and wife and says she is married to him; that he __ and believes that
she has a child by the said Andrew: all of which __ deeds are __ with
the matrimonial vow and have __ __ your Petitioners conditions
intolerable __ __ __ __ please your Honor to dissolve the bonds of
matrimony subsisting between your Petitioner and the said Peggy.
Signed Stephen Stalcup
State of Tennessee
Sumner County
This day, Stephen Stalcup __ __ __ personally appeared before me, John
Rutherford, an acting Justice of the Peace for said county and made
oath, that the facts contained in the ___ petition are true to the best
of his knowledge and belief and that said complaint is not made out of
levity or by collusion between husband and wife for the __ purpose of
being freed and so separated from each other; but in sincerity and truth
for the causes set forth in said petition.
Signed Stephen Stalcup
Sworn to me this 20th day of Sep 1819
Signed John Rutherford
Stephen Stalcup vs Peggy Stalcup
Petition filed 18 Sept 1819
April term 1820
Be it remembered that on the 19th day of April 1820 the last day of the
above term of Sumner Co. court the above case came on for __ in part the
said Peggy Stalcup was called to come into court and answer the petition
of the said Stephen for a divorce but came not; that it appeared to the
satisfaction of the court that a copy of the said ___ ___ petition and
delivered by the sheriff of this county; that the said Petitioner
Stephen Stalcup also proved to the satisfaction of the court that the
said Peggy was guilty of adultry as set forth in his petition, it
therefore ordered, judged, and decreed by the court that the marriage
subsisting between the said Stephen Stalcup and Peggy Stalcup the above
named parties be dissolved and the said Stephen Stalcup pay the costs of
this suit.