I know this is not about Drew Co., but there are many Drew Co. people running into terminologies that we cannot understand unless you are smarter than I.......perhaps this might help some of you w/ some of yours BETH >From: "FWI" <f_w_i@email.msn.com> >Old-To: <NCJOHNST-L@rootsweb.com> >Subject: [NCJOHNST-L] Free Trader >Resent-Message-ID: <"3d3VnC.A.edF.KzWk2"@bl-30.rootsweb.com> >>can afford it or find it in your local Library, Helen F. M. Leary's book >"North Carolina Research: Genealogy and Local History" is considered an >essential resource by most genealogist working with NC material. > in 1868 the NC Constitution recognized the >right of married women to own separate property, and more liberal laws in >this regard were passed thereafter. Because this land transaction was dated >1896, there is no readily apparent reason for a Court declaration of "Free >Trader." Also, even before 1868 and under Colonial Law in NC, a single >woman or a widow could buy land and, if twenty-one or over, could sell it >herself. here is what Helen Leary says about Free Trader in NC. > >"FREE TRADER. See 'feme sole' TRADER. // [the words eclosed in ' ' are in >intalics] // > >'feme sole'. A single woman; or a married woman, whose marriage has been >ended by death or divorce. 'Feme sole' status was granted to women legally >separated from their husbands upon petition to the General Assembly until >1816; thereafter that status was granted automatically with the decree of >divorce 'a mensa et thoro', which see. > >'a mensa et thoro' Literally "from table and bed" but commonly from "bed >and board"; a partial or qualified DIVORCE; a judicially sanctioned >separation of the parties and their estates rather than dissolution of the >marriage." > >The other type of DIVORCE provided for under NC law was: 'a vinculo >matrimonii'. "From the bond of matrimony"; designates absolute DIVORCE. > >I hope this helps you figure out what you are reading, although I am now >confused. Maybe an attorney-at-law out there can interpret this for all of >us? > > > >