Genealogy Chat

sent for divorce papers from national archives the names were the same but the marriage cert is not,im looking for Joseph Rathbone Mellor married 14th july in Liverpool to Jane Latham ,now i know they had one daughter Nellie born 16th nov 1915 but 23rd augustt 1924 she had son Frederick but was living with a John B Jones he was the boys father,can anyone help me find Joseph and Janes divoice please thank you after the divorce my uncle went to South Africa to work in the diamond mines and he never came back to England
Dutch

Are you sure they divorced? You will also need to clarify what this means: 'the names were the same but the marriage cert is not'.
Jan

The fact that in 1924 Jane was still using her married name Mellor but according to your post, was living with another man, her sons father, would seem to indicate that she probably did not divorce her husband J.B.Mellor.

At that time divorce was still really only the prerogative of the wealthy. You do not state when her husband went to South Africa. Was this before or after the son was born? What name was she using at the time of her death?

The only ones I could find are

More information Divorce Court File: 2896. Appellant: Joseph Denton Mellor. Respondent: Mary Mellor Tom Caine. Type: Husband's petition for divorce [hd]. 1920

More information Divorce Court File: 3472. Appellant: Joseph Davison Corbett. Respondent: Alice Corbitt. Co-respondent: Thomas Mellors Mucroft. Type: Husband's petition for divorce [HD]. 1929

Either they didn't divorce in the UK, or are one of the 20% records 1928-1937: which didn't survive.

Have you looked to see if the husband was 'presumed dead'? Not quite sure how that works; there may be a UK death certificate.

Is this him 1901? If so his father was a dock labourer. Very unlikely to have divorced.

1901 England Census

Name: Jose Rathbone Mellor
[Joseph Rathbone Mellor]
Age: 6
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1895
Relation: Son
Father's Name: Samuel Mellor
Mother's Name: Ada Mary Mellor
Gender: Male
Where born: Bootle, Lancashire, England

Civil parish: Walton on the Hill
Ecclesiastical parish: St Mary
Town: Liverpool
County/Island: Lancashire

Registration district: West Derby
Sub-registration district: Walton

Samuel Mellor 31
Ada Mary Mellor 31
Ada May Mellor 4
Jose Rathbone Mellor 6

Jan

Frederick's birth was indexed with 2 separate surnames on the GRO lists, suggesting that his parents were not married at that stage, so maybe did not bother later...?

Births Dec 1924
Jones Frederick ..Latham ..W. Derby 8b 655
Mellor Frederick ..Latham ... W.Derby 8b 655

Gwyn

Hi All
sorry did,nt get back to you ,right i have the bith cert of Frederick and Jane and John were both living at the same address ,17 Elm road Walton Liverpool,on Nellies birthday cert it has 19 Elm road Joseph was in the 7th Kings regt
Yes thats him on the 1901 census ,and what i mean,t by the marriage certs was the maiden name was wrong its Latham on the Liverpool cert in 1915,and the one from the national archives it was june 1913 and her maiden name was Windle and they were both from Padiham
Im not sure when he died but the reason he went to work away was it was disgrace to the family to get divoice in them days and his father lent him the money to pay for it ,in which in return he gave his father grandfather clock,i hope this helps
Dutch

Marriages Jun 1913
Mellor Joseph ..Windle ..Burnley 8e 456

Windle Jane E ..Mellor ..Burnley 8e 456

Gwyn

Divorce probably did have a bit of a stigma, and it was a trickier process than it is now, but it was most likely to be the cost which deterred ordinary folk.
I am struggling a bit to understand what you are saying in the above post regarding their names.

So - Joseph married Jane Latham in 1915.
What do you mean by 'it was June 1913'? Do you mean when the divorcing couple married?

Is the man's name Joseph Rathbone Mellor (exactly) on the divorce record?

Jan

It's a different couple;

Marriages Jun 1913
Mellor Joseph Windle Burnley 8e 456
Windle Jane E Mellor Burnley 8e 456

Sorry Jan i write the way i speak i mean,t the other couple were married in june there were the wrong couple and it cost me 16,59 to find that out but i did,nt now the maiden name which was on the cert until they sent it and it was,nt my Jane
Know its Joseph Mellor so thats were i went wrong is,nt

if it helps any when Joseph married Jane he was living at his parents house,33 Buchanan road and she was living at 19 Elm road Walton both in Liverpool

To be honest, I don't think they divorced. I imagine he left either just for work or they had split up already, and she just took up with the other bloke!

This is the only possible 2nd marriage as far as I can see, but his name is wrong and the location too far out I think:

Marriages Sep 1928
Jones Joseph Mellor Ashton 8d 1885
Mellor Jane Jones Ashton 8d 1885

Jan

it was my aunt who told me he was divorced but of cause there all gone now ,but the last they heard of him was when he phones his eldest sister Alice and he was 82 and going blind,but thank you anyway for your help
Dutch

1916 ----------on uk National Archives ref to petition for divorce between

Joseph Mellor and wife Jane Elizabeth Mellor.

I suspect that's the divorce for the above couple, which dutch already has. Different people.
Jan

Hi Kay yes Jan is right thats the one i have but thank you for looking
Dutch

After 7 years back then with no contact the wife could be granted a divorce on the grounds of desertion or she could have had him declared presumed dead,,,he could have died in SA.

so there may not be any divorce papers.

Kay he did die in SA he never came back to England he spoke to my Aunt in 1970 and he was 82 then i think and was going blind ,my Aunt died in 1974. i did try to see if he had married again out in SA but nothing,but somebody did tell me there were alot of familys out there with the name Mellor