He Joined the Toledo Police to Escape Her, Divorce in Williams County, Ohio, 1868

By

Pamela Pattison Lash

Jacob Nohl/Nold, born 23 Aug 1839, Nieferheim, Germany, son of unknown father and Catherine Nohl, came to the US c1861, settling first in Crawford Co, OH, and then moving to Florence Twp, Wms Co, OH.  He married Nancy Coy on 21 Apr 1864, Wms Co (Marriages V3 p376). Nancy was the daughter of Robert and Margaret Lesnet Christy, early settlers in Tiffin Twp, Defiance Co (formerly Wms Co), OH. Nancy was born in Washington Co, PA in 1838.  She first married John W. Coy, the son of Jacob B and Mary Ann Shank Coy, also early settlers for this area.  John W. Coy was born on 14 Feb 1831 in Beavercreek Twp, Greene Co, OH.  The couple was married in Tiffin Twp on 31 May 1855.  John died on 10 Oct 1861 in Evansport, leaving Nancy a widow.  She appeared in the Williams County, Ohio Civil and Criminal Court (Roll 19 case number 124 - Nov 1868) requesting a divorce.

            Nancy Nohl stated that the couple was married here on 15 Mar 1864, but note the discrepancy of her date and that of the official marriage records.  Nancy claimed that Jacob left her in Aug 1866.  She further stated that he committed adultery with Christianna Schmitt in his home in Toledo, Lucas Co, OH, and that on 17 Feb 1868 Jacob married Christianna in Toledo where he had resided for the past two years.  Jacob's brother, John Nohl, informed the court that Jacob joined the Toledo police force and had been pursuing that vocation for the past three months; his pay was $60 per month. Nancy wanted substantial alimony; in the record she did not seem overly concerned about her husband's bigamy. The court granted Nancy a divorce.  About a month later on 24 Dec 1868 in Wms Co, Nancy Noles married Charles Edward Sonnanstine (Marriages V4 p34).  Nancy died in 1887 in Evansport; her third husband Charles passed away on 3 Mar 1910.

            Whether Jacob was prosecuted for bigamy is unknown.  Whether he left his second wife and divorced her or vice versa is also unknown.  Perhaps Christianna died, but on 20 Feb 1871 in Wms Co Jacob married Catherine Keiser (Marriages V4 p156).  The couple had six children, five of whom are known as John, William F, Jacob Henry, Elizabeth, and George.  Prior to his third marriage Jacob was enumerated in the 1870 Florence Twp federal census, p35, with his siblings John and Mary Nold as John 33 BV carpenter, Jacob 30 BV farmer, and Mary 27 BV.  Evidently the desire to be a policeman had run its course. 

Also in the 1870 Florence Twp federal census, p18, one finds George Keiser 68 WU, Barbary 69 WU, Ann 38 OH, and Catherine 30 OH.  Catherine Keiser was born on 5 Apr 1838 in Richland Co, OH, the daughter of John G. and Eva Barbara Reiser Kaiser.

Jacob Nold and his wife Catherine died on 8 Dec 1905, Montpelier, OH, and 27 Mar 1916, respectively; they were buried in the Edon Cemetery.  Jacob's obituary in an Edon newspaper (loose copy undated) does not mention any part of his life between his entry in this county c1861 and his marriage to Catherine.  Without the divorce records the researcher would not know of his other two marriages.

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