Case Name: BLODGET v. THORNTON
Court: United States Circuit Court of the District of Columbia
Jurisdiction: United States
Decision Date: 1827-05
Citations: 3 F. Cas. 720
Docket Number: 
Parties: BLODGET v. THORNTON.
Judges: (MORSELL, Circuit Judge, absent),
Reporter: Federal Cases
Volume: 3
Pages: 720–720

Head Matter:
Case No. 1,554.
BLODGET v. THORNTON.
[3 Cranch, C. C. 176.]
Circuit Court, District of Columbia.
May Term, 1827.
Dower — -Marriage—Evidence—Cohabitation.
Upon a writ of dower, the marriage may be proved by parol évidence of cohabitation as man and wife.
[NOTE. For subsequent proceedings by the plaintiff, see Blodget v. Brent, Case No. 1,553.]
Writ of dower. Verdict for the plaintiff [Rebecca Blodget], subject to the opinion of the court, whether parol evidence of cohabitation as man and wife, is sufficient to prove the marriage.
C. C. Lee, for the defendant [William Thornton],
contended that the marriage can
only be proved by the certificate of the bishop, or of the clergyman who married them. The following authorities were cited by Mr. Lee: Jackson v. Claw, 18 Johns. 346; William v. Gwyn, 2 Saund. 45; 1 Phil. Ev. 262; Starkie, Ev. 939; Birt v. Barlow, 1 Doug. 172; Morris v. Miller, 1 W. Bl. 632.
R. S. Coxe, contra,
cited Birt v. Barlow, 1 Doug. 172; Morris v. Miller, 4 Burrows, 2058; Bayard’s Peake, Ev. 88. See, also, Woodf. Landl. & Ten. 402; Henry St. George Tucker’s notes to 1 Bl. Comm. 440, note 3.

Opinion:
THE COURT
(MORSELL, Circuit Judge, absent),
ordered the judgment to be entered for the plaintiff.