Grandma Sarah

I want to tell you a story about our grandmother 7 generations ago. She was born in Spotsyvania Co. Va. 1745 to Anthony and Mary Sandridge Gholson.
When Sarah was a year old her grandfather Sandridge died. He was a wealthy planter in Va. Sandridge left 100 acres of land to Sarah
Sarah GHolson married Charles Powell . In spotsyvania Va. and they had 8 children. Over the next 40 years Sarah moved 2 times ,first to Halifax Co. Va. and then they moved to Mercier Co. Ky. There on the frontier they built a home and raised a family.Charles Powell had no wealth when they married but Sarah had that 100 Acres of land she received at her grandfathers death.
Sarah father died and she also received some wealth from his estate. Namely one female slave and other house hold furniture. Also one feather bed. The Gholsons like their feather beds.
Now 40 years later they are in ky. with 100 acres of land , a home and 7 slaves plus crop, stock and other possessions, don't forget the feather bed.
One day Sarah in 1807, Our grandmother did something that no woman in that day did.
She took her feather bed and left old Charles Powell.
She sued him In court and the amazing thing is she won.
She charged that she had been a good wife and they had lived a peaceful life, but he started messing with her slave. She said that the slave was hers by her fathers death. She stated that all the slaves they owned came from that first slave that was her slave.
She wanted all of her property restored to her. Remember she started married life with 100 acres of land.
Sarah said Charles had beat her with a stick, tried to smother her and was living in sin with her female slave right in her home!
In that day and time a divorce was not done and the man was always the winner if a woman tried to get a divorce, very few would have tried.
She won in court and cost Charles Powell a lot of money.charles died in 1810 and Sarah lived on until 1834 sleeping on her feather bed.
some of my female relatives are know as being a little hard to live with and I think we got that from old Sarah Powell.