Georgia (Hinman) Everett (b.c.1864)

She was the daughter of William V. Hinman who was described both as a janitor and the keeper of a boarding house, but more accurately he and his wife "kept house" for a pair of physicians at 15 Mount Vernon Street, Boston. Georgia was described as, "beautiful, with dark, trustful eyes, a wealth of brown hair and a pleasing figure (she) was naturally a favorite among her acquaintances." Alas, it was those same good looks that got her into trouble, first when she was just sixteen having attended a picnic party in Providence with one William G. Morrison. During the course of the party it was suggested for a bit of fun that they put on a mock wedding and Georgia being the prettiest girl was pushed to the front of the group to take her place as "the bride" while William played "the groom" and another party-goer performed "the ceremony".

Georgia returned from the party thinking nothing more of it, but she got a horrible shock just a few weeks later when Morrison came to her door and quite matter-of-factly informed her that he had prepared a home for her. "It was the merest joke" she told him, "but you are my wife nonetheless" replied Morrison, "you stood up with me, and said 'I take you to be my husband'. You have been accepting my attention, and you knew I should ask you to marry me. It's only avoiding the necessity of going through all the formality". Unsure how to douse the ardor of the deluded young man, she turned to her parents for advice. But, her father had his own views on the sanctity of marriage and was anything but sympathetic to his weeping daughter, "If you were so foolish to say you would marry him, you would better keep your promise". And so it was that the unfortunate girl did go with Morrison and did live with him as his wife. However, she later testified that he abused her until she could bear it no longer and left him, returning to her parents.

In 1882, one year after leaving Morrison, Georgia met a young, Harvard-educated Boston lawyer Edward Everett - named for his grandfather, the former U.S. Secretary of State Edward Everett - who at first must have seemed like the answer to all her prayers. As she was by then known once again as Miss Hinman, she didn't want to start their relationship on the wrong foot and told him that, in a way, she was a married woman. As Everett became increasingly infatuated with her, she told him the whole story, and when he proposed to her himself and she hesitated, he promised to have her 'mock marriage' legally annulled and he duly prepared the papers for a suit of annulment in Rhode Island.

In addition to the formal proceedings, Everett asked Georgia to obtain from Morrison both a signed statement admitting that their 'marriage' was merely a mock ceremony as well as the certificate that Morrison had used to scare her into living with him. Both were acquired after Everett wrote to Morrison's lawyer himself, threatening legal proceedings should the documents not be handed over. On their receipt, Everett informed Georgia that there was no need for formal proceedings and all her troubles were now over.

The mutual elation that followed resulted in the young lovers eloping to Brooklyn, New York, where in 1884 they were married in the City Hall by Justice John Courtney. As the judge congratulated them, Everett immediately aroused his suspicions when he promptly held out his hand and asked for possession of the marriage certificate. "This belongs to the lady," said the Judge, frowning. Everett smiled, and after leaving the room to order a carriage, Justice Courtney turned to the timid bride and said, "Madame, this is a peculiar marriage. Keep this certificate. Some day you may need it". And how right he was. For the second half of Georgia's story refer to the biography of Edward Everett here.