Divorce 1880

[Elizabeth Herts]

I have made a breakthrough on one of OH's family.

William Henry Newton married in 1860 (Clara Cook). He and his wife appear together in 1861 and 1871.

However, in 1881 they are apart. William is living with Emma Martyn and her father:
1881 Census
RG11; 686; 83; 42
19 Carden Road Camberwell Lambeth
Emma Martyn Head W Southwark Surrey
Thomas Jenyns Father Widr 72 Retired boot maker
Waterbeach Cambridgeshire
Willm Henry Newton Boarder Mar 42 Retired Wine Merchant
Southwark Surrey

Clara is with her brother-in-law and his young family - her sister has just died.

By 1891 William has married Emma Martyn.

I looked on FMP and found divorce proceedings between Emma and John Martyn -
Martyn John v Martyn Emma c Newton
1878

from which I presume that William Newton was cited.

However, nothing for William and Clara Newton.

I have finally found Clara Newton in 1891:
RG12; 766; 34; 13
St Leonards Hastings
(She was mistranscribed as Clara Wilson)
CLara Newton Head M 51 Own Means
Alice Wenman
Bessie Wenman
Florence Wenman (all her nieces)
Edward Cook Father
Amelia Cook Mother
Ada Visitor (sister)
Sidney F Visitor

She is calling herself MARRIED.

However, William MARRIED Emma Martyn, neé Jenyns,
in Dec qr 1887 Greenwich

Emma divorced, but I couldn't find a divorce for William and Clara.

Are ALL the divorces for this time period in the FMP Matrimonial Causes collection? Or are any missing?

Is William a bigamist?
(He would be the second I have found!)

[Orangeblossom]

I couldn't find Williams, but I found 2 for John and Emma.

From National Archives:
J 77/185/4770 Divorce Court File: 4770. Appellant: Emma Martyn. Respondent: John Martyn. Type: Wife's petition [wx]. 1877
J 77/220/6065 Divorce Court File: 6065. Appellant: John Martyn. Respondent: Emma Martyn. Co-respondent: [...] Newton. Type: Husband's petition for divorce [hd]. 1879

Looks like she tried, then he did!

[Elizabeth Herts]

Tracy, thanks for those, they look the same as what is available on FMP.

By the way, where on the National Archives site do I look?

[Orangeblossom]

Just click on Search the Catalogue and add J77 to the Department box.

[Elizabeth Herts]

Tracy, I've done that but can't see how to search by name.:o

[Orangeblossom]

Put the name in the 'Word or phrase' box.

[Elizabeth Herts]

I must be doing something wrong because it doesn't seem to work!

[Orangeblossom]

Are you on 'the Catalogue' page?

You should have fields:
Word or phrase
(Mandatory)
Year range
(optional)
Department or Series code
(optional)

[Merry Monty Montgomery]

The Times, Friday, May 30, 1879; pg. 4; Issue 29581


Fetch.jpg

More in a minute.....

[Merry Monty Montgomery]

The Times, Tuesday, Nov 16, 1880; pg. 4; Issue 30040


Fetch2.jpg

[Merry Monty Montgomery]

Now looking for the other one......

[Elizabeth Herts]

Tracy, I got there in the end! Thanks.

There is a podcast explaining divorce, which I am listening to.

[Merry Monty Montgomery]

No luck with the other one at the moment.........

[Elizabeth Herts]

Merry, you're a gem!

Thanks so much. For the last few years I have thought that there must have been a divorce somewhere, but I didn't know whether Clara had died and I hadn't looked that far into the Martyns affairs.

John Martyn is on the census in 1881 with his children. Emma had had two - Henry John A and Emma L - she left them behind.

I don't get a very good vibe about Emma!

[Merry Monty Montgomery]

The man would always get custody.

[Elizabeth Herts]

It shows how the newspapers make mistakes:

John Martyn was a widower. He married Emma Jenyns - he already had children. They had two together. He was in the millinery business.

It was she who must have been unkind to his daughters Fanny and Catherine. They seem to have got their "his" and "hers" muddled up as it was Emma who commited adultery with William Newton. The article is rather confusing!