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A Divorce between 1923 & 1936/7?

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  • A Divorce between 1923 & 1936/7?

    Hi,

    I was just looking for opinions on how possible it would be for a couple in Rotherham/Sheffield to have divorced between these years? I have a lady in my tree who married in Sheffield in March 1923 (have the cert). The couple had a child in the September quarter of the same year so clearly already pregnant. I have found no other children to this marriage but she marries again in 1937 in Rotherham. In the indexes, she is listed under both her maiden name and married name. I have found no death for the first husband but I have found a marriage in Sheffield in 1936 of someone with the same name which left me wondering if they had divorced and both had re-married. The lady died in Rotherham in 1954 at the home her parents lived at (according to her burial record which was for a cemetery in Sheffield).

    Opinions much appreciated
    Claire
    Claire

  • #2
    Of course there were divorces but they were often considered disgraceful or costly so usually the couple parted and often remarried stating they were spinster or bachelor as no checks were done.
    I have a few marriages where people had lied, one even married in her married name re-naming her Fathers surname to cover up the lie as she had one daughter from the first marriage and said she was a spinster.

    You can search the divorces http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/r...on/divorce.htm read about it here

    Edna

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    • #3
      Thank you for the link Edna. Nothing is coming up in either of their surnames but I see that there are some missing. I know the obvious thing to do is order the 2nd marriage cert but she's not a direct line. Very possible I guess that they split amicably and he stayed in Sheffield and she went to her parents in Rotherham. I think the confusion for me is that the index states her surname as H***** or R******* so both surnames must be on the marriage cert.
      Claire

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      • #4
        If there was a divorce, might there have been something in the local newspaper?

        STG
        Always looking for Goodwins in Berkshire.

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        • #5
          Well in that case it does seem likely that she did divorce as it gives Formerly know as then the married name which comes after the maiden name.


          Edna

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          • #6
            Very possible STG. These years for the local newspaper(s) not yet online. Something to try and get over to Sheffield and check in the future
            Claire

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            • #7
              The odd thing was - if you remarried and said you were a widow, you didn't have to prove it. If you said you were divorced, however, you DID have to prove it and it would be on the new marriage cert. Presumably quite a few people wouldn't mention they were divorced.

              OC
              Last edited by Olde Crone Holden; 31-01-15, 17:44.

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              • #8
                I've always found that odd OC. I am just wondering whether it was fairly common for a woman's surname in the indexes to be given as X or Y? This is the first time I have come across this in my tree. This along with the fact that I can't find a death for husband number 1, is what is making me consider they divorced.
                Claire

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                • #9
                  Well, I know that Lancsbmd nearly always gives both names for a female, but not always, so perhaps it was down to whoever compiled the index?

                  OC

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                  • #10
                    Ah ok, maybe its a certificate I am going to have to invest in
                    Claire

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                    • #11
                      Originally posted by Claire from Sheffield View Post
                      Ah ok, maybe its a certificate I am going to have to invest in
                      Hello, Claire,

                      I have a copy of a marriage certificate for a second marriage of a brother of my grandmother which shows him marrying someone of the same surname. It transpires that two of g/mother's brothers (I will call them Alan Peter) and were both happily married until Alan died and then the Peter's wife died. After about two years Peter married Alan's widow. On the wedding certificate is shown her married name then "formerly" name.

                      J
                      Research Interests :-Dominy in Dorset prior to 1800, Page in Radnorshire area pre 1850

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                      • #12
                        Originally posted by Claire from Sheffield View Post
                        Very possible STG. These years for the local newspaper(s) not yet online. Something to try and get over to Sheffield and check in the future
                        It might still be worth a visit to the Newspaper Archive. I searched for Sheffield and Divorce, no names, and came up with 36 articless between 1920 and 1939. The most common newspaper seems to be the Yorkshire Post or Yorkshire Evening Post.

                        I have to say that this is well worth looking for since newspaper reports of divorces often give details. For example one of my wife's ancestors was divorced in the 1920's and the newspaper reports give details of the investigations of a private investigator - makes fascinating reading.

                        David

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                        • #13
                          Thank you David and to everyone else. I will try to get to the Sheffield Library in the next few months and see if there is anything at all in any local newspaper. I think I might still have to get that certificate first though. Really appreciate everyone's' responses.
                          Claire

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                          • #14
                            My divorced g grandmother remarried in 1925. The marriage certificate described her as divorced wife of "my g grandfather's name" formerly "maiden name" spinster.

                            My g grandfather sued for divorce in 1918 on the grounds of her adultery and was granted financial assistance as a "Poor Person" so it was possible for ordinary people to divorce. I got the papers from the National Archives. Interestingly although the divorce was not spoken about in the family (I found out through my research) no blame seemed to have been attached to her and she married the co-respondent in the case. The children of the marriage lived with her until they themselves married and she was very much part of the scene during my very early childhood. In his latter years my g grandfather lived with my grandparents and it is him I remember most clearly.

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