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CHAPTER 6 ^For a ^Maintenance: 'The ^Economics of SVLarital ^Discord My little old man and I fell out; I'll tell you what 'twas all about, I had money and he had none, And that's the way the noise begun. TRADITIONAL NURSER Y RHYM E Divorce di d no t alway s settl e tension s betwee n marrie d couples . I n fact, sometime s i t cause d ne w stresse s o r increase d ol d ones . Marth a Tiffin, fo r instance , receive d a divorce fro m be d an d boar d fro m he r husband, James , i n Decembe r 1802 . Th e followin g September , th e court determined the alimony. From the beginning, James fought agains t paying it. H e sai d he was in debt, an d blamed Martha for it, declarin g that "aspersion s sh e thre w o n hi s character " cause d hi s busines s a s a hat vende r t o decline . Ye t th e me n wh o examine d hi s book s asserte d that they wer e kept "in the deranged stat e [in which] they wer e foun d on purpose to cause him to appear as poor as possible." James believe d that Martha wa s well provided fo r without his alimony payments, an d noted tha t sh e owne d quit e a bi t o f propert y acros s th e Delaware : three larg e bric k houses , a four-acre garden , an d forty-seve n acre s of land, "som e o f whic h i s goo d meadow. " I n addition , sh e possesse d .56 FOR A MAINTENANC E J 57 two turnpik e share s an d som e funde d debt s o f th e Unite d States , fo r which h e had grante d he r powe r o f attorney . Notwithstanding James ' assertions , th e cour t rule d agains t him . According t o th e ensuin g alimon y agreement , Jame s wa s t o pu t th e New Jersey propert y "i n complete tenantable Repair, " and deliver th e title deed s t o Martha , releasin g al l hi s right s t o th e propert y t o th e "Trustees fo r he r us e i n fee. " Marth a wa s als o awarde d th e turnpik e shares, a gol d watc h tha t ha d belonge d t o he r befor e th e marriage , and thre e hundre d dollar s pe r year . I f payment s wer e delaye d thre e weeks o r more , a n attachmen t coul d b e issue d withou t applyin g t o the court . Thi s settlemen t wa s i n lie u o f al l dowe r claims . Further more , sh e had t o relinquish th e titl e to their hous e on Secon d Street , in Philadelphia. 1 Apparently, th e coupl e cohabited agai n i n 1806 , but shortl y there after separated . James was deeply i n debt. Accordin g to Henry Ward , who live d wit h them , Marth a offere d t o len d Jame s som e money , providing War d woul d agre e t o advanc e som e money , too . War d de clined becaus e th e debt s wer e to o large . Marth a eithe r lef t James be cause o f thi s situation , o r sh e lef t afte r hi s hous e an d furnitur e wer e sold t o Ward , wh o the n ordere d he r ou t o f th e house . Sh e wen t t o New Jersey, an d shortl y thereafte r Jame s lef t o n a trading voyage. 2 In 1807 , Martha obtaine d a n attachment fo r th e alimony James owe d her fro m th e las t tim e sh e lef t him . Accordin g t o he r testimony , th e amount du e wa s $325 . Hi s attorne y conteste d Martha' s clai m t o ali mony , an d aske d tha t th e attachmen t...

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