How can i find a divorce?

[Vonny North West]

My late aunt, maiden name Annie Morris, married 1944, a then soldier named Peter Kelly b. 1914. He served with the Kings Own regiment, service number 3768563 in WW2. The marriage was a registry office wedding registered in Chorlton Manchester. In 1947 my cousin Brian (now deceased) was born, however, he never met or knew his father. Within my family nobody had/has an answer to why Peter Kelly disappeared from the scene. My only remaining Aunt, Annie's youngest sister now aged 85 doesn't know why her sister Annie was deserted. So I need to find a divorce or annulment but don't know where to look.
Can anyone help?
Vonny

[Janet in Yorkshire]

Other possibilities -
I wonder if Mr Kelly was already married in 1944? Might he not have been the father of your cousin and walked away from the relationship? Perhaps the break up was mutual and they found it too difficult to adjust to living together? (wartime impulse romance, shortage of homes & jobs after the war.)

Have you looked in local newspapers of the time? - sometimes there were announcements of divorces, publication of maintenance orders, asking for info as to the whereabouts of persons etc.

Jay

[Olde Crone Holden]

Are you sure they divorced? Why would she divorce him (unless she wanted to remarry? Did she remarry?) It would have cost her to divorce him and it would have left him free to marry someone else. A lot of divorced woman didn't like that idea!

Janet has a point also, he may not have been the father of her child and may even have left long before that anyway.

OC

[Vonny North West]

No I don't know if they divorced, that is an assumption on my part, my aunt never re-married. Yes I had thought about that he may not have been Brian's father, and when Brian was alive he did speak to me about this. However, I can't find anything more on Peter Kelly. He married then disappeared but where to? Did he marry again - I don't know. As far as I can ascertain, he did survive the war. So if Janet is right, they married 27th December 1944 and 2 or perhaps 3 years later he has gone? His address on the marriage certificate is 10 Moor Park Road East Didsbury Manchester. He did serve in Italy during WW2, would he have had to go back until demob in 1945? I wondered if he could have been killed in the last months of the war but haven't found any evidence to support this theory. It is a mystery.
Vonny

[Olde Crone Holden]

If he had died during the war, surely the family would have known that, which kind of adds weight to the theory that he was not B's father. Also, if she had committed adultery then she could not divorce her husband, she would have to wait for him to divorce her and maybe he never bothered.

Yes, he would have had to carry on fighting unless he had been injured.

OC

[Vonny North West]

My mother was a witness to the marriage, during her lifetime she didn't confide anything about her sister Annie to us even as adults. Annie was a frequent visitor to our house in the 50's 60's and 70's. She suffered from mental illness and was in and out of Prestwich (mental) hospital for years. She had a very hard life, never had anything, and my mum and my now aged Aunt used to help her out with money, food, furniture and supported her all the way through her life. I vaguely remember my mum saying that the "loss" of her husband really affected her mental health. I always felt really sorry for Brian, he carried the burden of his mother as an adult until she passed away.
Vonny

[Guest]

maybe just a coincidence but there is a Peter Kelly says born 1916 ? which could be a mistake died 1947 in Manchester Withington Workhouse 13 Jun 1947

says he died of malignant hyper?? something

[smokie]

Do you have Brian's birth cert? It might have some info on there maybe??

[Chrissie Smiff]

There was also a Peter Kelly born in 1916 in Manchester though Val.

[Guest]

oh well ,I reckon he was married before as 30 is a bit late to marry for the first time?

[Sue1]

maybe just a coincidence but there is a Peter Kelly says born 1916 ? which could be a mistake died 1947 in Manchester Withington Workhouse 13 Jun 1947

says he died of malignant hyper?? something

?Could that be Malignant Hypertension by any chance. Sue

[JBee]

Have you got the death certificate of Annie? This may show whether she was still the wife/widow of Peter or perhaps had married or lived with someone else

[Vonny North West]

Thank you all for your input. this is Peter Kelly's birth registration:
Name: Peter Kelly
Mother's Maiden Name: Lauder
Registration Year: 1914
Registration Quarter: Apr-May-Jun
Registration district: Chorlton
Inferred County: Lancashire
Volume: 8c
Page: 1509
The only news paper he appeared in, of which I am aware, was the London-Gazette on the 26/10/1944. He was awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal" for gallantry in the field in the face of the enemy".
I haven't a copy of Annie's death certificate but my Aunt may have so I will give her a call and find out.
Vonny

[Chrissie Smiff]

There are 3 possible deaths that would fit that birth. However, the one in Barrow in Furniss probably matches the birth there. Which would leave one in South Shields, Tyne and Wear in 1977 and one in Wandsworth in 1996.

[Guest]

wonder if its worth downloading this ?

http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/D7351297

[Guest]

and look at this very interesting

http://www.dnw.co.uk/auction-archive/catalogue-archive/lot.php?auction_id=131&lot_id=62684

might be worth contacting the Auction House see who was trying to sell them

[Guest]

seeing as he signed with the Kings Regiment Liverpool wonder if this is his death
Peter Kelly born 3 Oct 1914 died Dec quarter 1997 Liverpool Lancashire 0251B 271 1197

[Guest]

if thats his death think this is him on the probate site
died 23 Sep 1997 probate 15 Aug 1997 Manchester

[annswabey]

Good find on the Auction House, Val. - definitely worth contacting them to see if they have a record of who was selling the medals. Perhaps not worth downloading the National Archives document as it's probably the one quoted in the Auction record. Even if not, it wouldn't give any personal info

[Guest]

did you see the original medals were lost on a ferry crossing ? on rememembrance day ? maybe him honouring the dead ,be interested to know what the auction house have to say .