New Jersey as a colony and as a state : one of the original thirteen . ^ of Friends in West Jersey appar-ently made no provisions relative to the legisla- 324 NEW JERSEY AS A COL. A COLONIAL CHATELAINE tive regulation of marriages. The peculiar cus-toms of their faith left little room for law-makingwhere a population was religiously homogeneous. As a natural conclusion divorces were practi-cally unknown in the western province, the courtsseeking to unite man and wife at variance ratherthan permanently to separate them. The Burlington court book supports this state-ment in an entry showing that
New Jersey as a colony and as a state : one of the original thirteen . ^ of Friends in West Jersey appar-ently made no provisions relative to the legisla- 324 NEW JERSEY AS A COL. A COLONIAL CHATELAINE tive regulation of marriages. The peculiar cus-toms of their faith left little room for law-makingwhere a population was religiously homogeneous. As a natural conclusion divorces were practi-cally unknown in the western province, the courtsseeking to unite man and wife at variance ratherthan permanently to separate them. The Burlington court book supports this state-ment in an entry showing that some time before1694 Thomas Peachee and Mary, his wife, hadagreed upon a separation. To effect a reconcilia-tion the Quaker justices at Burlington summonedthem into court, asking them if they were notwilling to live together. Mary agreed, and so didThomas, he stipulating that Mary will acknowl-edge shee hath scandalized him wrongfully. Tothis the woman consented, adding an expressioneternally feminine: But saith shee will notowne that she hath told lies of him to her knowl-edge. At this point the negotiations naturallycame to a standstill. But after some good ad-monitions
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Keywords: ., bookauthorleefranc, bookcentury1900, bookdecade1900, bookyear1902
