A petition may be may be entirely accurate or only partially accurate. Certainly statements by neighbors and relatives, as well as many accompanying signatures, tend to add credibility to some petitions. But, for an example of opposing statements, read the petitions of David McNabb and Peggy McNabb. Statements by John McInturff, Voelit Swaner, Lucinda Dunkin, and George Slagle. David and Jane had several children, Peggy heard.
Petition includes a few signatures.
The United States Constitution left complete authority over marriage and divorce legislation to the separate states, and the first state constitutions, by omitting the subject, left the matter of divorce to the legislatures. Thus each state had the freedom to develop its own divorce legislation. In 1799 the Tennessee General Assembly gave authority to grant divorces to the superior courts, located in the districts Mero, Hamilton, and Washington. However, both prior to this act and until 1835, divorces and privileges of feme sole were granted by the General Assembly. The researcher seeking information on a divorce in Tennessee between 1796 and 1835 should be aware that although a great majority of the divorce cases were heard in court, a large number of divorce and feme sole petitions were brought before and were acted upon by the Tennessee Assembly.