In 1787, Elizabeth Holley married Howell Holley in Edgefield District, South Carolina. In 1827 or 1828, after forty years of marriage, Elizabeth charges that Howell began an illicit relationship with Nancy Hodge. She writes that it was then that he began to beat her "with various Instruments sometimes with his fists sometimes with a hickory at other times with a cowhide and very often threatened her life." She claims that Howell left their domicile, taking Nancy with him to Georgia, and then to Alabama, and abandoning her and their nine children. Later, the couple reconciled, but in 1830 Howell again became violent and Elizabeth fled for her life. Elizabeth claims that Howell now lives with Nancy and their illegitimate offspring, six or seven in number. According to Elizabeth, Howell is old and senile; and he possesses a large estate, including a "valuable set of mills," horses, cattle, hogs, sheep, "a large quantity of money," and fifteen slaves, five men, four women, and six children. Elizabeth, too, is very old, and unable to support herself. She asks for a divorce and alimony. In his related answer, Howell denies all charges of violence against his wife and denies that Nancy Hodge lives in his house. He countercharges that Elizabeth was a difficult, dissatisfied, and jealous woman, who made his life unbearable.
Result: Denied.
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Repository: Tallapoosa County Courthouse, Dadeville, Alabama
