Case Summary

Nicolas Brown filed for a writ of habes corpus on behalf of his sons, Alexander, aged 4, and George, aged 2. He alleged that his wife, Olive, took their sons Alexander and George and left the city of Seattle “without his consent and without any provocation or cause whatsoever”. Nicolas claimed that he should have custody over the children as he is better able to educate and support the said infants than their mother. Though a writ was issued, the petitioner’s attorney motioned for the cause to be dismissed, and the case's outcome remains unknown.

Case Information

Petition type(s)

• Interpersonal

Petition subtype(s)

• Child custody

Sites of significance

• Samish in Skagit County, Washington Territory (, )

Outcome

Writ dismissed

Fate of bound party

Not in custody

Case Citation

King County Government, Judicial Administration, Territorial District Court Case Files, 1867-1889, No. 5342

Source material(s)

Case File

Length of case file

Between 6 and 10 pages

Repository(s)

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

State

• Washington

Tag(s)

• Indigenous
• Children

People

• Brown, Nicolas (petitioner)
• Brown, Alexander (petitioner)
• Brown, Alexander (bound party)
• Brown, George (petitioner)
• Brown, George (bound party)
• Brown, Olive (respondent)
• Peterson, Fred H. (petitioner attorney)
• Jones, Richard A. (judge)

• Additional parties

  Ledgerwood, W.E. (Clerk)

  Trummel, Louis G. (Clerk)