Lucy Curtis Alderman v Martin VB Alderman, Williams County, OH Divorce 1878 (19 September 2021)
From the Williams County Civil and Criminal Court (Journal 9 p494, Roll 32 case number 445 - 17 Apr 1878) there was a divorce which dealt with a cruel Alderman. Lucy Curtis (b1852 NY, daughter of James and Ellen Curtis, natives of Ireland, lived in Verona, Oneida Co, NY (1850), and Rome, Oneida Co, NY (1855-1870). The 18 year-old school teacher married Martin Alderman in Onondaga Co, NY on 4 July 1870.
Martin (b Nov 1846 NY - 23 Mar 1910 Fayetteville, Onondaga Co, NY) was the son of John and Laura (Potter) Alderman. By the 1875 NY State census for Manlius, Onondaga Co, the Aldermans were enumerated as Martin 28 NY laborer, Lucy 22 NY, Horace 4 NY, and Minnie 1 NY along with father John Alderman 56 NY.
Lucy Alderman appeared in court, a resident of Ohio for at least one year, in 1878, requesting a divorce. She stated that on 1 Aug 1871 Martin violently beat her; on 1 Nov 1876 Martin was extremely cruel to her and willfully deserted her on that date. She called into court the following people to substantiate her claims: Alex Gilbert, Lewis Grosvenour, Sarah J. Alderman, and Jenny Kinney. The couple had two children - Horace J (May 1872 MI - 2 Jan 1944, Toledo, Lucas Co, OH, m Iona Pitts, 1891) and Minnie M (25 Nov 1874 NY - 25 Nov 1948. Antwerp, Paulding Co, OH; m Andrew Ruger). The divorce was granted and Lucy almost disappeared from this story, but a letter of permission to marry was attached to her daughter’s marriage license: “I am willing to have my daughter marry. Her father hasn’t done anything for her since she was two. I am divorced. Signed......Lucy J. Manning.”
Martin married Sarah J Swingham (1845 PA) on 18 Apr 1880 in Waldron, Hillsdale Co, MI; both were residents of Fulton Co, OH. Via the 1880 Orleans, Ionia Co, MI federal census, one finds this family as Martin 33 NY farmer, Sarah J 35 NY, Horace J 9 MI, and Minnie 6 NY. Note - there is an error in Lucy’s aforesaid letter of marriage permission as Minnie is clearly living with her father at age of six. Two daughters have been discovered as issue of Martin and Sarah - Maryett (31 Dec 1875 - 10 Aug 1876, Amboy, Hillsdale Co, MI, and Amy B (Dec 1888, MI - . Note that Maryett was born to Sarah Alderman several years before Lucy applied for a divorce.
According to the Syracuse Evening Herald (Syracuse, NY), 24 May 1893, p4 c3 Martin Alderman of Ohio while visiting his sister, Mrs Julia Hooghkirk, stole her jewels and sold them to buy a revolver. He was sent to the NY State Penitentiary for 60 days and the revolver was confiscated. By 25 Dec 1896 Martin and his wife were destitute and became inmates of the Onondaga Co Poor House. The couple is found living in Dewitt, Onondaga Co, NY through the 1900 federal census - Martin 53 NY and wife Harriett 53 NY; therefore sometime between 1880 and 1900 Martin has married again. The Superintendent of the Municipal Lodging aka Poor House found work for Martin and his wife on a farm nearby near Fayetteville, NY (Post Standard, Syracuse, NY), Monday, 17 June 1901, p7 1. The 1905 Onondaga Co, NY state census showed the couple still living in the poor house as inmates. The Poor House records do show that Harriet was born in Germany, had very little education, and was a domestic.
The Post-Standard (Syracuse, NY), Wednesday, 22 March 1910 contained a meager obit for Martin Alderman, survived by widow and a son and daughter. He was buried beside his mother in the Fayetteville Cemetery. Nothing is known of his widow.
