Note 1109 — Chapter XV · DIVORCE IN THE AMERICAN COLONIES

New York Col. MSS., XXV, 84. Here is the document in full, though some phrases are hard to decipher:

"To the Right Honr^ble Maij Edmo^nd Andross, Gouev^nr Gen^ll of all his Highnes Territories in America:

"The Humble Petiton of Richard Wood:

"Humbly: Sheweth:

"That whereas your Honou^rs Petitioner haueing liue under his Highness Jurisdiction in Westchester about fifteen years, during w^ch time your petitioner hath endeauoured to demeane himselfe as a true and Loyall subject and serviceable in his generation, to the best of his power, but through the unchastity and disloyalty of y^e petitioners wife by name Mary Wood, sustained great detriment and endured a very troublesome and vexatious liueing to the Dishonour of God, and repugnant to the holy bond of wedlock, she haueing as much as in her lay endeauoured the totall ruine and destruction of your petitioner, by her most abominable words and actions, haueing openly confessed she hath defiled her marriage bedd, and that purposely to breed difference between your petitioner and her selfe, notwithstanding y^e petitioner endeauoured to reclaime her, by all means lawfull, who yet continued the same and rather worse, and now purposely absented her selfe by reason she knows her selfe guilty and to prevent that shame and punishment due to her base and wicked actions....

"Y^r Petitioner humbly beggs your Hon^rs would bee pleased to take your petitioners sad case into consideration, and if it shall seem good in your Hon^rs sight a separation may be made, otherwise noe [illegible] can be expected but a sad euent of such deplorable doings.

"and y^e Petitioner shall for Euer Pray as in Duty bound."