PENOBSCOT COUNTY MAINE COURT NEWS

To the Honorable James H. Burgese, Judge of Probate for the County of Penobscot County:

The undersigned, Wilson Sawyer and Susie M. Sawyer, of Brewer, in said county, husband and wife, represent that they are desirous of adopting Florence Wilbur, a child of Mary F. Wilbur, of Bangor, in said County, born on the 28^th day of February, A.D. 1894 and that they are of sufficient ability to bring up and educate said child properly; having reference to the degree and condition of its parents. They further represent that John Wilbur, the father of said child is an unfit person to have the custody of said child; that he utterly deserted and abandoned his wife, said Mary F. about six months before the birth of said child and has continued said desertion to this time and during said time he has made no provision for the support of said mother and child and he is now in parts unknown.

Wherefore your Petitioners pray that your Honor may grant them leave to adopt said child, with the rights of inheritance, as provided by law, and that the name of said child shall be changed to Louise Wheeler (?) Sawyer.

Dated this 25^th day of January, A.D., 1896

Signed: Wilson Sawyer and Susie M. Sawyer

The undersigned being the mother of the child mentioned in the above petition, hereby consents to the adoption and change of mane prayed for and further says that all of the above allegations are true.

Signed: Mary F.  Wilbur

Penobscot Probate Court, February Term A.D. 1896

Upon the foregoing petition, Ordered, that the petitioners give notice to the said John Wilbur, father of the child named in said petition, to appear at a Probate Court to be holden at the Probate Court Room in Bangor, in and for the county of Penobscot, on the last Tuesday of March, 1896, at ten o’clock in the forenoon, by publishing an attested copy of said petition, and this order (?) three weeks successively in the Bangor Daily Whig and Courier, a newspaper published in Bangor, in our County of Penobscot, the last publication to one day at least prior to said last Tuesday of March next that he may there and then in our said Court appear and show cause, if any he have, why the prayer of said petitioners should not be granted.

James H. Burgess

Judge of Probate.

[source: Bangor Daily Whig and Courier, March 21, 1896 edition]