Fourth Generation Inclusive

The Petition of John Chambers of Haywood County Humbly Sureth Your Honerable Body that about the first day of February, that a certain Theophilus Oneal who emigrated from Johnson County in this State to this Haywood County. And that after some acquaintance with the family of Mr. Theophilus Oneal Your Petitioner Maried his daughter Riney. But in Abouts two Weeks after marriage your petitioners Wife was charged With having been delivered of a Molatto Child which was Nused by a Negro Woman of the said Theophilus Oneals the Father inlaw of the Petitioner. After being Charged with the above crime, the family has since the Mariage Confessed the fact. After which time your Petitioner carried his wife Riney to her father and has never lived with her since. Your Petitioner is a poor young Man but Wish to Conduct him self in such a manner so as to render himself Respectable, as this petition May Want form, Gramar, and eloquence yet there is one thing he feels himself weel assured of that is the correctness of his Narative he therefore wish your honerable Body to take his case into serious consideration and pass a law to annul the Marriage of your unfortunate Petitioner, And in duty bound he Will ever pray, your petitioner think it needless to have paper crowded with Names he therefore Contents himself with having a few of the respectable part of his neighbours or county men placed on the petition.

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The Committee on Divorce & Alimony to whom was before the Petition of John Chambers of Haywood County, have had the same under consideration and ask him to report; Your committe find that the said John Chambers intermarried with Riney ONeal the daughter of Theophilus ONeal, who was emigrated from the County of Johnson to the County of Haywood three or four years since, and that some short time afterward, the said Chambers discovered, and it appears to your committee in proof likewise, that it was the common talk previous to their removal from the County fo Johnson, and has been, subsequently acknowledged by the family that the said Riney (previously to her removal) had been delivered of a mulatto child; And it appears further to your Committe that as soon as the Petioner the said John Cahmbers had ascertained this fact, he returned or carried his wife to her parents, & with whom and himself  there has been no fellowship since __ Your Committe aware of the importance of rendering indi[illegible]ible teh marriage contract, and of that demoralizing tendency which a seperation under any circumstances produces, are yet of an opinion, that the prayer of the Petitioner in this Case should be granted, and therefore recommended the passage of the accompaning bill. All which is respectfully submitted.  /s/ J.G.A. Williamson, Ch. of the Com.

General Assembly Session Records, November 1825-January 1826, Box 4, North Carolina State Archives.