Genealogy Chat

Check the National Archives site they hold 'references' to some divorces on there.

Thank you all for your input. Andrew, I think you may well be right about just taking another wife without 'getting rid' of the first one! Hazel

Andrew your right, a rellie of mine got one in the fifties, if the partner disappears and cannot be found, a divorce is granted. I think 7 years had to elapse.

there are divorce records on 1837online but i think they only go up to 1903. if i remember rightly you put in a name and search then click on marriages and divorce records appear from that. I did it and found that my gg grandmother was divorced, Karen x

Most people couldn't afford divorces until well into the twentieth century, and of course there were social reasons for avoiding it also. A possibility that you should consider is that your relative just lied about his first wife's death when he got married the second time; this was a very common occurrence in the past, even when there were children. I have also seen assertions that if a spouse scarpered it would be possible to remarry a certain number of years afterwards if there was no communication between the two; in other words, the 'escapee' would effectively be treated as if he or she had died. I don't know how reliable this information is, though.

Some people have had a bit of luck finding divorces on teh national archives site, perhaps try putting your relatives name in there and see what comes up.

Hi Hazel, I understand - this genealogy can be very expensive alright, like many others I am sure, I have spent too much so far, will have to rein myself in!!! I believe getting divorced was pretty dear for the first 50 years of the 20th Century, I think my rellie must have saved up for a long time, there is a gap of 12 years before he married again. All the best, Georgina

Hi Georgina Thank you very much for all your information - but I'm not sure my Hester is important enough to spend all that money on!! For the moment I think I shall continue assuming she died between Censuses and spend my pennies on more promising enquiries! Thanks anyway, Hazel

Does anyone know if Divorce Records are available anywhere on line? I have a relative who changed wives but I can't find the first wife's Death!! Neither can I find a subsequent Marriage, come to that!! Any (reasonable!!!) suggestions welcome! Hazel