Genealogy Chat

ive just been looking at my grandfathers war record,and in one prt it has this
kindly note that the wife thats crossed out and on top inoffical wife of the above man has been removed from 34 towers st GT Yarmouth to 230 Camberwell new road London,i also notice that my grandmother had applyed for his pension when he died ,but they divorced in 1904,and this was 1918
cou;d someone explain to me please what it means
thank you
Dutch

Dutch - did he have a "liaison" with this lady after his divorce, but didnt marry her? she was perhaps known as his "common law wife"?

Just a thought love.


Jac XX

Hi Jac,i realy dont know i was just looking at his records but i do know she was,nt with him when he died,but my g,mother is buried with him so mybe got back together but never remarried her
Dutchxx

Certainly 'inofficial wife' would suggest that this was a woman with whom he was living as if they were married.

However 'Common Law' Wife/Husband doesn't exist and hasn't done since a (possible) period back in the mid 18c(?) and there are doubts as to whether it did even then!

As to his divorced wife claiming a pension...Were there still dependant children? If so, I believe, she would claim their right to a dependant's pension.

Chris

So maybe they did get back together...Never remarried so she became the 'inofficial wife' ?

You didn't say if the 'inofficial wife' was actually named.....If she wasn't then it could be that it refers to the actual wife, crossed out.

Hope that makes sense

Chris

Hi Chris,know all the children were grown my dad and his brother were both in the army and his two sisters were married,so there was know young ones,she was living with one of her married daughters when she claimed its realy odd

know she was,nt named,but could be but on his death cert shes is not the informant a Jenny Bradley was with him the time of his death but she could have been nurse could,nt find out anything about her either

Dutch

I am no legal expert.....

But I seem to remember that ex wives could make a claim on an estate, so that would include a pension, and would receive a payment if it was agreed it was a lawful claim.

Different rules apply today.

Chris

im sure they did this to confuse us i,ll have to look into that its shame i have know family left to ask

Dutch

You would probably need to look at the legislation relating to the payment of pensions for 1WW widows ( including a divorced wife) and dependants to see if she could have fallen into that catagory.

But where that legislation is and how to understand it I will have to leave to others more knowledgeable than me!

Good luck

Chris

thanks Chris,wonder if theres anyone on here who knows just thought