Case Summary

In August of 1882, Alice McKay placed her daughter, Mary, into the care of the Sisters of Charity for Mary to receive care as she recovered from Scarlet Fever. A month later, the Sisters placed Mary into the care of John and Della Keevan, telling Alice that they were doing so for Mary to receive "fresh country air." Alice argued that she had frequently attempted to visit Mary and retrieve her from the Keevan but was prevented from doing so after the Keevans threatened to shoot her. Alice claimed that the Keevans "unlawfully and cruelly bed, abuse, and otherwise ill-treat" Mary and that the Keevans had no legitimate legal claim to the custody of Mary. The Keevans responded by claiming that Alice abandoned Mary and left her in a poor physical condition and that "by reason of this poverty and indigent circumstances, she was unable to support and maintain it." The Keevans further argued that they were financially and mentally capable of providing Mary with a moral education and superior material means. While the case file itself does not contain a case outcome, it is indicated in Alice's second petition for custody of Mary in 1887 that this writ was denied on account of Alice's poverty.

Case Information

Petition type(s)

• Institutional
• Interpersonal

Petition subtype(s)

• Child custody
• Child custody

Sites of significance

• Sisters of Charity (Seattle, Washington)

Outcome

Writ denied

Fate of bound party

Remained in custody

Case Citation

King County Government, Judicial Administration, Territorial District Court Case Files, 1867-1889, No. 3651

Source material(s)

Case File

Case document transcriptions

• hc.case.wa.0068.001
• hc.case.wa.0068.002
• hc.case.wa.0068.003

Length of case file

Between 11 and 20 pages

Related petitions

• In the Matter of the Application of Alice McKay for a Writ of Habeas Corpus for the Body of Mary McKay Her Infant Daughter

Repository(s)

• Washington State Archives, Puget Sound Regional Branch (Bellevue, Washington)

State

• Washington

Tag(s)

• Children

People

• McKay, Alice (petitioner)
• McKay, Mary (Mamie Keevan or Mary Keevan) (bound party)
• Keevan, John (responding party)
• Keevan, Della (responding party)
• Greene, Roger Sherman (R. S.) (judge)

• Additional parties

  McKay, R. G. (Archie) (Estranged husband of Alice and father to Mary)