TARTER v. TARTER

The divorce proceedings of Jacob Tarter and Mariah Warner Tarter

Pulaski County, KY

 Other notes

As might be expected, these documents contain many misspelled words. In most cases, the misspellings have been corrected and "[sic]" reserved for "real" errors.

Parts of the documents are nearly illegible in part or in whole because of folds and other defects in the original documents. One, Jacob's response to Mariah's cross petition, appears to have been written with a quill pen with an irritated goose still attached.

In all cases, missing words or sentences are noted with "[__ words], and  uncertain interpretation with italics. In a couple of places, I've summarized instead of doing a full transcription; these are clearly identified as such. In the depositions, the words "Jacob" and "Mariah" have been substituted in the places where he/she is referred to only as "Pltff" or "Deft".

On the photocopy I received of this case, the following statement appears on the back of  the first page of the depositions taken for for Mariah:

"I certify that this is an exact photocopy of the original unaltered document which is on deposit at the Kentucky Department for Libraries and Archives, Public Records Division." [Frankfort KY]

"Source: Pulaski Co. Circuit Court;                                     Staff person: David Schatz; Date: 10/13/99"

Introduction

Jacob Tarter, then about 63, married (2nd) Mariah Warner, about 23, on 28 October 1858 in Pulaski County KY. Their daughter, Queen Victoria Tarter, was born on 9 August 1859, so she apparently was conceived within a few days of the time Jacob and Mariah married.  Jacob's first wife, referred to in these documents, was Mary "Polly" Weddle, the daughter of Daniel and Rachel Rayburn Weddle; she died about 1855. Polly [?Keeton/Ceaton/Seaton] Bird, also referred to in these proceedings, became Jacob's third wife on 11 December 1870 in Russell Co. KY.

Notes on the arrangement of the divorce proceedings transcription

I've divided the proceedings into three parts:

I.          Miscellaneous paperwork (includes summons for depositions, summary of an appeal filed by Mariah, etc. This material is in roughly chronological order.

II.         The original petition, cross petition, and responses filed by Jacob and by Mariah.

III.       Depositions

26 June 1860 -- three on behalf of Jacob (in relation to Mariah's cross petition)

13 Sept 1860 -- four taken on behalf of Mariah

14 Sept 1860 -- four taken on behalf of Mariah

14 Sept 1860 -- four taken on behalf of Jacob

15 Sept 1860 -- five taken on behalf of Jacob

16 Sept 1860 -- two taken on behalf of Mariah

 Following the transcription is a list of the "cast of characters", a chronology of Jacob's last twenty years, and a brief note about Mariah and Queen Victoria. (Page 3)