The divorce petition filed by Sophia of June 27, 1829 reads.3
To the Hon. Supreme Court, next to be holdern at Middlebury within and for the County of Addison on the 4th Tuesday of January 1830, humbly sheweth Sophia Rathbone of Middlebury in said County, that at Middlebury aforesaid, on the 10th day of May 1819, she was lawfully marrid to Alfred T. Rathbone late of Vergennes in said County by the Rev. Thomas A. Merrill of said Middlebury; and from that time to the 27th day of August 1825, she lived with the said Alfred T. Rathbone in the strict observance of all the duties required by the marriage covenant when she was driven from his house by the said Alfred T. Rathbone by intolerable and abusive conduct without any provocation, on the part of your petitioner, and has ever since been obliges to rely for a substance, on her own personal labour and the charity of her friends. And your petitioner further sheweth that the that the said Alfred T. Rathbone at Vergennes aforesaid while she lived with him, as aforesaid, did at different times and on various pretenses during the time aforesaid treat your petitioner with intolerable severity. Your petitioner therefore prays this Honorable Court, that the bonds of matrimony between her and the said Alfred T. Rathbone be dissolved and a bill of divorce granted her; that such part as to his Honorable court may appear reasonable; and in Fine that she may be restored to all thngs which she has lost by reason of said covenant."
This notice with citation were to be published three weeks successively in the Vermont Aurura, a public newspaper in Vergennes.
She was granted her personal belonging in alimony which included two bedsteads, two beds and bedding, one card table, one pine dress table, one wash stand, one brass time piece, one pair and-irons, one pair of brass shovel and tongs, one sale carpet, one home made carpetn, one gilt looking glass, table linen and towels, curtains for three windows, one set bed curtains, one set table spoons, nine silve teaspoons, one set tea waiters, one dozen dining knives and forks, one dozen tea knives and forks.
The above entries are from 471Email from Robert Boehm Rathbun