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Family: PRAY, Frederick Hall / RIDDELL, Margaret (F3814)

• Male PRAY, Frederick Hall

  
  

  Birth	14 Apr 1851	Dorchester, Suffolk, Massachusetts, USA
  Death	17 Jun 1909	Mission Hill Sanatorium, Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, California, USA
  Burial	19 Jun 1909	IOOF Cemetery, Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz Co, CA
  Marriage	8 Apr 1883  [1, 2]	Oakland, Alameda, CA, USA  [1, 2]
  Divorced	19 Sep 1889  [3, 4]	San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA  [3, 4]
  Father	PRAY, Amasa | F52 Group Sheet
  Mother	FERNALD, Miriam | F52 Group Sheet

  
  

  Female RIDDELL, Margaret

  
  

  Birth	Abt 1855
  Death	13 Apr 1890	Glen Riddell, Gilroy, Santa Clara, CA USA
  Burial		Saint Mary Church Cemetery, Gilroy, Santa Clara, CA USA
  Other Spouse	WAINWRIGHT, Joseph Graves | F3830
  Marriage	Bef 1873
  Father	RIDDELL, John William | F3831 Group Sheet
  Mother	Margaret | F3831 Group Sheet

  
  

• Notes

  From the SF Examiner, 19 Sep 1889: Mrs. Pray Deaf to Her Husband's Prayers Decrees and Alimony. "In the name of all that is good and holy I have begged my wife to quit drinking," said Fred H. Pray to Judge Levy yesterday morning. "It was no use, though, for she was confirmed in the habit, and her excesses have driven us to ruin, financially and every other way." Mrs. Maggie Pray, the woman accused, made no denial. She was arrested at the Grand Hotel a month aco for being intoxicated. It was disclosed to the court that Mrs. Pray is also addicted to the morphine habit, and a divorce was granted to her husband on tbe ground of intemperance. Three years earlier, this strange item from the SF Examiner, 22 Nov 1886: LOOK ON THIS PICTURE. A Negative Photographer Twice Married but Not Mated. TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN-ON AND after this date I will not be responsible for any debts contracted by my wife. FRED H. PRAY. San Francisco, November 17, 1886. In order to ascertain the hidden meaning of this public avowal, an Examiner reporter yesterday called on Mrs. Redell, mother of Mrs. Pray. Said Mrs. Redell: " Well. I will not say anything about it, but I think a piece ought to be put in the papers, stating that he was not good for his own debts, even. Yes; the remnants of his photograph gallery have been sold at auction; he owed General Keyes about $1,500 rent; instead of supporting my daughter, she has had to pawn her jewelry and other effects for them to live on; some of her trunks are now at the Donohoe House, some at a lodging-house on Sutter street, and he owes other bills at hotels where they stopped as long as he could get credit. While they lived in Oakland, their gas bill was shut off twice, and he owes the butcher and the druggist. Well, he left her about three weeks ago when his gallery was closed, and is traveling round the country, camping out. My daughter, Mrs. Pray, heard he was at Congress Springs, and so she and a lady friend went down there to see him. I would not go with her, because I think Mr. Wainright is the proper husband for her. Mr. Wainright was her first husband. He is from Pittsburg, Pa., and is quite wealthy. They came here several years ago; I lived at Gilroy you know. Mr. Wainright, his initials are J. G., got a divorce from my daughter and went East keeping the decree in his pocket, not recording it in order, I suppose, to keep my daughter from marrying. But she married this man Pray. Then, when Wainright returned, he recorded the divorce, and so the marriage was celebrated over again, she being twice married to Mr. Pray. We thought her first marriage to him was not legal because the divorce had not been recorded. No; I do not know whether there is another woman in the scene or not. I cannot imagine what Pray did with his money -- he did not properly support my daughter, and it is not likely any one will credit him, so there is no danger of her running up bills in his name." [3, 5] Married: Reportedly had two ceremonies, the second on or about 8 Nov 1883. This was due to some confusion as to whether Maggie was officially divorced from her first husband. Divorced: “Fred Pray has been divorced from Maggie Pray on the ground of habitual intemperance.”

  
  

• Sources

  [S1310] Marriages - Pray - Wainright, PRAY - WAINRIGHT - In Oakland, by Rev. Mr. Ackerly, Fred H Pray to Maggie Wainright. [S1336] M Wainright or Wainwright-in the California, U.S., Marriage Records from Select Counties, 1850-1941. [S1311] Look On This Picture. [S1330] Divorce Matters. [S1331] Yesterday’s Divorces.

  
  

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