Petition of Robert Wright seeking divorce from Mary Godsey
Title
Petition of Robert Wright seeking divorce from Mary Godsey
Description
Robert Wright, a free black, married Mary Godsey, a white woman, in 1806. In January 1815 she eloped with a white man, taking with her a slave and other property. Wright overtook the couple and persuaded his wife to return. That November, she fled with the same man to Tennessee. Wright petitioned for a divorce. The General Assembly rejected the petition because the marriage had never been legal.
Source
Virginia General Assembly, Legislative Petitions of the General Assembly, Petition of Robert Wright, Campbell County. State Government Records Collection. The Library of Virginia. 12-1078-001/002/003/004.
Date
16 November 1816
Format
Manuscript
Files
Collection
Citation
“Petition of Robert Wright seeking divorce from Mary Godsey,” Library of Virginia, accessed April 19, 2024, https://lva.omeka.net/items/show/61.