Genealogy Chat

Can anyone tell me if there is a site that allows you to look up divorce records. My dad was estranged from his brother in the early 1960's and we have found that he has passed away. But the lady who registered his death was not the lady who was married to my Uncle when Dad last spoke to him, but she is listed as his widow. We have looked on Find my Past and found the marriage of my Uncle and his 2nd wife as being in June 1969, we then searched to see if the 1st wife had died but can't find any records of this upto the end of 1969. So we were wondering if there was any site that we can view divorces in the UK.

Many thanks
Helen

The National Archives has an index of divorces but they don't go up to the 1960's. It's only an index, you have to pay for the actual documents.

You could buy a copy of the second marriage certificate and see if it says your uncle was a divorce when he married again.

Hello Janetell,
yes we are in the process of sending for the marriage certificate, we have had to do this because when looking for the marriage of my Uncle to the 2nd wife we came across the fact that her maiden name was the same as her married name, now we don't know if she had been married before, so we will be awaiting the arrival with anticipation.

Now you've puzzled me! How do you know the lady's name was the same as her married name? Do you mean the name in the index is the same as the name she took when she married your uncle? i.e. SMITH Doreen SMITH?

Janet

Helen
These are not available for the public to search. The search has to be done by the Courts Service.

HMCS (Her Majesty's Court Service)
Principle Registry of the Family Division
Decree Absolute Searches
R 2.03
First Avenue House
42-49 High Holborn
London
WC1V 6NP

Tel 020 7947 7016 020 7947 7016 or 7017

I think the search costs is £40 for each 10year period (yes expensive). If I remember correctly for an extra £1 you can get the Decree Nisi which will give you details i.e. why abandonment, adultery (it may even name names!) etc. The certificate doesn't contain much info other than the names of the two parties concerned the date of the marriage and location and the date the marriage ended - very official. If you're after the nitty gritty then this won't help you

I've found them helpful both on the phone and in person. If you do visit they'll only search two years while you wait. Give them a call.
MB

Helen

One other thing to consider is that perhaps they were living together prior to getting married and she changed her name to his - by deed poll or just assumed his name and then subsequently got married when either one was free to do so. I have found this in some of my research.
MB

thanks for that Mummy Bear. will tell Dad that.

Janetell have pm'd you.

Mummy Bear - I have no experience of later divorce records but the divorce records I obtained from the National Archives were full of information. It was like a story of what had happened over the years. It even gave information of a baby my great grandmother had given birth to on 24th May 1889 which didn't live or was stillborn. All of the other children were named and ages given. It was a harrowing tale of my great grandfather's cruelty, drunkeness and infidelity. This divorce was granted to great grandmother in 1908.

I have 32 pages of information and they cost me £17

Janet