30 October 2010

Divorce Action in Williams County, Ohio - Oram


Anna Laura McClellan Oram v Job aka Joseph Cox Oram (Journal 11 p105 - 22 Feb 1881; Roll 36 case number 851 - Jan 1881)

By Pamela Pattison Lash (updated 14 May 2013)

Sometimes a researcher contacts me with more info on the participants of divorce actions - this was one of those cases.  Thank you so much, Carolyn, for your input.

The couple was married in Bryan, Wms Co on 26 July 1876 (Marriage V4 p470). Anna charged that Job had a wife at the time he married her.  He skipped town for Columbus, OH.  Anna wanted a divorce and reasonable alimony.  A legal notice appeared in a local paper; a divorce was granted.  Prior to this divorce Joseph Oram was arrested on the charge of “being too much married”, was brought to court, and sentenced to one year’s imprisonment in the Ohio State Penitentiary.  He became secretary to the warden and was expected to take a business position in Columbus when he was released. (Fountain City Argus, 9 Jan 1879 and 21 Feb 1879).

Anna Laura McClellan, daughter of Richard Hazlett McClellan and Margaret Yates, was born on 4 Sept 1857 in OH. Anna L. McClellan married Leslie Henry Kellogg, a Civil War veteran, in Wms Co on 17 Mar 1881 (Marriage V4 p740).  The couple moved to Angola, IN shortly after their marriage and were the parents of Eugene and Cynthia Kellogg.  Anna died on 20 June 1927 and was buried in the Angola (Steuben Co, IN) Cemetery.


Job Cox Oram (born prior to 25 Dec 1843, Weston Bampfylde, Somerset, England) was the son of William Oram and Mary Cox.  On 13 Mar 1866 he married Elizabeth Marshal Bartlett, daughter of James Bartlett.  They had at least three children – James William, Mary, and Henry. Job Cox Oram left Bryanston Farm in 1864 and found work at James Bartlett’s farm, which he then managed. After marrying James’ daughter he left for America three years later where he committed bigamy several times.

Prior to marrying Anna McClellan Job was in Toledo, Ohio.  In the city directories for 1872 and 1873 a JC Oram was coachman to Mrs JC Hall. The following year Joseph Cox Oram was a coachman to Ccl. C Holmes and finally in 1875 Joseph C Oram was a hackman boarding at American House.

Back in England Job’s “widow” Elizabeth died on 9 Jan 1889.

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