History of Oakland County Michigan a narrative account of its historic progress, its people, its principal interests / compiled from the official records of the county, the newspapers and data of personal interviews, under the editorial supervision of Thaddeus D. Seeley.

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HISTORY OF OAKLAND COUNTY

judicial circuits, each one of the supreme court and justices to hold at
least two terms in each county in the circuit assigned to him, and in
the execution of that duty to be styled circuit judge.
The first chancery case brought in the county was commenced in the
circuit court, October 2, 1830, John Biddle of Detroit, complainant,
and Henry Reynolds of New York, defendant, the action being a bill
for the foreclosure of a mortgage. The bill was drawn by G. O. Whittemore, solicitor for complainant, and describes the mortgaged premises
as "being situate, lying and being in the county of Oakland, in the territory
of Michigan and known and described as the west part of fractional
section ii, township 2 north, range 9 east, of lands directed to be sold
at Detroit, by the act of congress entitled 'an act providing for the sale
of the lands in the United States in the territory northwest of the Ohio
and above the mouth of the Kentucky river.'" After laying before
their honors, the court, the complaint of his client, expressed in piteous
terms, the solicitor concludes the same by a most humble prayer that
their honors would grant their orator "the most gracious writ of subpoena, in the name of the United States of America, etc."
The first divorce suit was brought in this court July 12, 1834, being
the bill of complaint of John Runyan, against his wife, Eunice Runyan, who he alleged had deserted him and also had been guilty of adultery. John obtained a decree of divorce from Eunice in February,
1835, which released him and his property from any claim she might
make by virtue of her former wifehood rights; but the decree did not
specifically state that either party might marry again. The complainant was fifty-eight years old and the defendant fifty-five.
At the October term, 1837, of the circuit court, fifteen libel suits
were brought on charge of corruption growing out of the election for
member of congress, in September of that year. There were two days
used in polling the votes at that time and General Crary, the Democratic
candidate, came out some thirty odd votes behind his competitor in the
race in Pontiac township, much to the chagrin of his friends. Some
of them charged certain of the Whigs with tampering with the ballot
box, and issued a hand bill to that effect, which called forth the suits
above named. Four of the suits were compromised by taking a judgment of fifty dollars, which were affirmed by the supreme court; seven
were dismissed; one was tried and a verdict of three hundred and thirtythree dollars was found for the plaintiff and affirmed by the supreme
court; the others were transferred to Genesee county for trial.
The regular circuit judges commenced to held court in 1848, previous to that year various associate judges presiding over it, as follows:
Hon. James Hunt, 1826; Hon. James Witherell, 1827; Hon. Henry
Chipman, 1828; William Woodbridge, Solomon Sibley, Henry Chipman and Ross Wilkins from I828 to I833, when the circuit court of
the territory was created.. From June, 1833, to I837, Judge William A.
Fletcher, an associate judge of the supreme court, as chief justice, and
Daniel LeRoy and Amasa Bagley as associates, held the court. The
judges of the first circuit court from June, 1826, to June, 1833, were all