Do you remember the days of snail mail? Thanks to a comment made by a reader of my previous post, Divorced, I used snail mail to seek out copies of the marriage and application for divorce. Thanks to the kindly service of the employees in the Coffey County Clerk’s office and the office of the Clerk of the District Court Office located in Coffey County, I received copies of the records in the mail!

Alexander Briles married Elizabeth M. E[ltz]worth were married in Coffey County Kansas on May 30, 1875.

Coffey County Kansas
Fourth Judicial District of Kansas
Clerk of District Court

Marriage License
Probate Judge’s Office
Burlington, Coffey County, Kansas

May 28 A.D. 1875
To any person authorized by law to perform the Marriage Ceremony, Greeting:
You are hereby authorized to join in marriage Alexander
Briles of Neosho twp County of Coffey
State of Kansas aged 57 years, and Elizabeth
El[zsw]orth of Neosho Twp County of Coffey
State of Kansas aged 51 years; and of this License
you will make due return to my office within thirty days.
Wm. A. Allison Probate Judge

Return
State of Kansas
Coffey County
I certify that on the 30th day of May 1875, I did join in marriage the
within named Alexander Briles and Elizabeth El[t]zworth
D. T. McAuly
Minister of the Gospel
I hereby certify the above to be a true copy of Marriage License and return recorded this
31 day of May 1875
Wm A Allison Probate Judge

Coffey County Courthouse, Marriage License, , Briles – Elsworth, 30 May 1875; Fourth Judicial District of Kansas, Burlington, Kansas.

Then in 1879, Alexander Briles files for divorce in Coffey County Court. Even though these old court records were difficult to transcribe, it is obvious this was not a happy marriage.

Fourth Judicial District of Kansas
Clerk of the District Court
Coffey County Courthouse
Burlington, KS

No. 1042
Alexander Briles
Vs Elizabeth M. Briles

page 2
Alex Briles
vs
Elizabeth M Briles
1042
Filed Dec. 2
1879
R Hadam
Clerk

page 3
State of Kansas
Coffey County
In District Court
in & for said county
Alexander Briles [pltf]
vs
Elizabeth M. Briles [Deft]
The Plaintiff says
That he has been a resident in good
faith of the State of Kansas for more
than one year [las] past, and that he is
now a resident in good faith of the said
County of Coffey
That on the 30th day of May 1875
the said plaintiff and defendant
were married to each other [?]
County of Coffey
The plaintiff further [assess] that since
[?] said Marriage this plaintiff has in
all [?] [committed] himself toward said
defendant as a faithful and loving
husband
The plaintiff further says that the said defendant
has been guilty of [?] neglect of [?] neglect of [duly] [?] the place of [housekeeper]
that defendant disregar[ding] her marital duties
to this plaintiff her husband has failed
neglected and refused to cohabit with the
plaintiff her husband for the space of
more than one year last [past] and still
so neglects fails and refuses to cohabit with
this plaintiff without any just cause or
[provocation] [has as] wife no part of this plaintiff
[?] [Therefore] plaintiff prays the court that

page 4
the parties hereto named be divorced
the marriage relation [hereafter] existing
between them be annulled & set
[aside] [or] [deed] for [other] proper] sale of
R. [?] & Jenkins
Pltf attys

Alexander Briles being first duly sworn
on oath says that the [several] matters
and things set forth and aversed in the
the foregoing [?] are true
Alexander Briles

Subscribed & Sworn to before me this
2d day of December 1879
R Hadam
Clerk Dist Court

Page 5
State of Kansas
Coffey County
In District Court
[in previous] term
Alexander Briles
vs
Elizabeth M. Briles [Missouri?]
[?]
Came [here] the said defendant
and [names] the issuing and [?] of
[?] in the {cal?] [each] the [?]
and [interest] her [appearance] therein [?]
rose [cr] for to said plaintiffs position
This defendant denies each and
every allegation in said petition
[contained]
The said defendant further says
that said defendant has been a
resident in good faith of the state of
Kansas for more than one year
last past & is [lives] now at the [date] of the
filing of the petition & of the [?]
herein a resident in good faith of said
county of Coffey
Deft further says that the said plaintif
& defendant were married to each other
[in] said Coffey County on the May 30
1875 and that [?]
said marriage She has in all things
conducted herself married to

page 6
plaintiff as a faithful loving and
obedient wife
[J?] the said plaintiff [disregarding]
his duties toward [her] [f?]
his wife, has been guilty of extreme
cruelty toward this defendant
[persuance] any just cause [for his reaction]
The said defendant further says
that said plaintiff has been guilty of
gross neglect of duty towards this
defendanty his wife without any
just cause or provocation on her
part.
Whereupon this defendant prays
that she may be severed from said
plaintiff and for [this] proper relief
Elizabeth M. Briles

Elizabeth M. Briles being first
duly sworn says that the several
matters and things set forth in her
[?] are true
Elizabeth M Briles
Subscribed to & sworn before me
2d day of December 1879
E B Peyton
Judges

page 7
Filed Dec 2
1879
R Hadam
Clerk
Docket I

Fourth Judicial District of Kansas, Coffey County, Kansas, No. 1042: Alexander Briles vs. Elizabeth M. Briles, Clerk of the District Court Office, Burlington, Kansas.

While the court documents do not contain a final divorce decry, I was able to locate a newspaper article which indicates the divorce was granted.

The Burlington Patriot (Burlington, KS)
25 Dec 1879
page 2

The following is an abstract of the balance of the cases disposed of at the December term of the District Court:
…
Alexander Briles vs. Elizabeth W. Briles; divorce granted

“Court News,” The Burlington Patriot (Burlington, KS), 25 December 1879, page 2; digital images, Newspapers.com (www.newspapers.com : viewed online 18 September 2022).

From this experience, I’ve learned several things:

• To keep digging for those records.
• That snail mail still works.
• that going back thru my research and carefully analyzing the research reveals research questions and leads to more records.